Ascendency
by Taryn Daniels
Summary: In which Anakin does some Very Bad Things to his friend Obi Wan. Between Anakin's strange behaviour and a mysterious mission, Obi Wan gets Very Confused Indeed. Calgon, take me away! (3yrs post TPM, Qui dead, Ani being trained by Temple staff.)
1. A Broken Promise

Title: Ascendency  
  
Author: Taryn Daniels  
  
Time Period: 3 years after TPM, Obi Wan is 28, Anakin 12  
  
Summary: Obi Wan is not allowed to train Anakin. He must deal with the consequences of his broken promise, while performing his duties as a Jedi on a mysterious mission. A Work in Progress.  
  
Rating: PG-13 for angst, mild language, violence. (May be R eventually?)  
  
Reviews/ Feedback: Yes PLEASE!!! It's like water and air to me.  
  
Archive: Yes, but Please ask permission first.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own 'em, I don't profit off 'em, I just write about 'em, then let 'em go home to Georgie. My original characters prefer to stick together, so please don't kidnap them.  
  
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CHAPTER ONE: A Broken Promise  
  
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Simple. Elegant. Deadly.  
  
Truly the weapon of a Jedi Master.  
  
The silver and black cylinder chilled Obi-Wan Kenobi's hands with a cold inner fire. The strange sensation seeped into his arms, no less real than the ache in his heavy heart.  
  
"Why, Master . . . Why ?" He gripped the weapon more tightly and let his forehead sink down to touch its sleek surface, weeping for a future that could never be.  
  
************************************  
  
The diminutive Jedi's walking stick clacked harshly against the glossy floor of the Theed Palace. Large green eyes fixed on the kneeling form before him as his pacing continued. Mace Windu usually handled the administrative functions of the council, but Yoda felt he had to attend to this matter personally. He owed it to his stricken down colleague, as well as to the subdued young man before him.  
  
Kneeling, head bowed in deference to the revered Master, Obi Wan was the picture of Jedi obedience and calm. Yoda's pacing had gone on for several long minutes. Obi Wan waited in anticipation, attempting to clear his mind and absorb whatever news Yoda had to impart to him.  
  
A Pause. The small green master rested in front of Padawan Kenobi, gazing intently, feeling not only the waves of tension coming from the boy, but also his attempt to still them. The pacing continued.  
  
"Confer on you the level of Jedi Knight, the council does." A small smile played across Obi Wan's face, betraying his pleasure at this news.  
  
Obi Wan's victory against the mysterious Sith warrior had proven his worthiness to the Council, so much so that they unanimously decided to forgo the traditional Trials and promote him outright. The alternative, assigning him a new Master and making him wait, seemed unnecessary and unconscionable.  
  
"But agree with your taking this boy as your Padawan learner, I do not!" The stick rapped three times against the floor in emphasis.  
  
Consternation flittered across Obi Wan's face for an instant before he could regain his neutral expression. He spoke up in the most respectful tone he could muster. "Qui Gon believed in him. "  
  
Yoda sighed heavily and came to rest in front of this newly Knighted Jedi whom he knew to be more than competent and strong in the Force. Obi Wan had arguably been the most talented, promising Padawan in recent memory. "The Chosen One the boy may be. Nevertheless, grave danger, I fear, in his training."  
  
Steely determination shone in Obi Wan's eyes. His tone was clipped with thinly veiled tension. "Master Yoda, I gave Qui Gon my word. I will train Anakin!"  
  
A frustrated growl emanated from Yoda as he resumed his steps.  
  
"Without the approval of The Council, if I must. " His resolve was firm, his threat no idle one. Obi Wan held his mouth in a thin stubborn line.  
  
Yoda turned his back on the young man. "Qui Gon's defiance I sense in you. Need that, you do not. " A decision, a compromise . . . A mistake? "Train the boy, the council will. He will be treated as any other initiate. Master Windu and I will oversee this, and offer extra instruction." He turned to face Obi Wan once more. "Ready for a Padawan, you are not. Especially one who comes so late to the Order."  
  
Obi Wan's dismay showed on his face briefly, and was then replaced with his usual impassive stare. "I would like to be given the opportunity to prove my worthiness. "  
  
"Denied!" Yoda pointed his stick at Obi Wan and spoke with finality. "Felt your anger when fighting the Sith, I did. Strong it was, very strong. " His stick returned to touch the floor, and he sent waves of compassion to the obviously distraught man. "Understand, I do, your anger. Losing Qui Gon to the Sith. Very painful. But master your feelings, you must. Almost got you killed, your rage did. Need some time on your own, without a Padawan, you do."  
  
Obi Wan breathed in and out, using the Force to let his frustrations go. He knew Yoda was correct. His moments of uncontrolled hatred during the difficult battle had allowed the Sith to very nearly defeat him. Only when he centered himself and found calm in the Force was he able to recover and find ultimate victory. Still, he had given his word. His head bowed down as he pleaded his case once more.  
  
"Master Yoda, you are right, I did lose my temper. But I made a vow to Qui Gon, a vow I will not break. Please allow me to train the boy."  
  
Yoda stepped forward to place a gnarled hand on Obi Wan's shoulder. "No, young Kenobi. Train the boy, you will not. You vowed you would see Anakin trained, and so you shall. Anakin has much to learn to join his age-mates. These things, the Council and I will teach him. When his place he has earned, and if ready you are, then take him as Padawan, you may. But not before."  
  
Obi Wan nodded in resignation. He had frequently advised his Master to cease defying the Council. He believed they knew the best course of action. He must bend to their will. It was the proper Jedi way. "Yes Master. Thank you for your counsel." He fixed his eyes on the wall, holding back the strong feelings that suddenly flooded him. "I have one request, Master Yoda, if I may . . . "  
  
Yoda straightened and cleared his throat, the strength of Obi Wan's emotions playing around his mind, even though he knew the young man was shielding them tightly. "Yes, Knight Kenobi, tell me this request."  
  
"My braid . " Obi Wan's hand strayed to the lock of hair over his right shoulder, then returned to rest on his knee. Qui Gon should have been able to sever that braid at his Knighting ceremony. He should have been able to keep it as a remembrance of the 13 years they had spent as Master and Padawan, as father and son. Sudden tears sprung to Obi Wan's eyes, and were blinked away almost as fast as they had come. There would be no ceremony. Not without Qui Gon. "I would like for you to sever it, so I may lay it with Qui Gon on his bier tonight. I would like him to have it. He has earned it. " The young man's throat constricted and he swallowed audibly.  
  
Yoda's ears drooped, his eyes softened. He had assumed Obi Wan would have a public Knighting ceremony, perhaps with himself or Mace Windu performing Qui Gon's role. But this was not a festive occasion to the young Knight, and the ceremony was not required by the Code.  
  
"Of course, Obi Wan. Are you sure, a formal ceremony, you do not want?" He felt he had to ask, to hear the young man plainly refuse. The ceremony was the most important day in many Knight's lives. The single moment they had been working for since infancy. A moment which cemented the commitment to the Jedi order, which declared to all that the service of the Light was first, foremost, always.  
  
"Yes, Master Yoda. I am quite sure." Obi Wan gazed placidly at the small form before him. His eyes were clear, his expression bland. He knew he would not regret this decision. A ceremony under these circumstances would seem a mockery of all he and Qui Gon had been through together.  
  
"You wish me to sever your braid now then?" Yoda inquired.  
  
Obi Wan's gaze remained steadily fixed on the wall behind Master Yoda. His voice hitched so slightly that Yoda almost didn't hear it. "Yes. Please." Now his eyes moved to Yoda's, their depths a clear gray. The gray of sorrow and resignation.  
  
Yoda stretched his hand out to Obi Wan's head, lightly grasping the braid close behind his right ear. He sent a thread of the force out to the hair woven there, and the strands separated at his touch. His fingers came away with a long shock of hair, mixed brown and ginger at the top . . . fading to ginger only a few inches down. Qui Gon's contribution from his youth contrasted sharply with the red-blonde of Obi Wan's. Silently, Yoda pressed the lock into his open palm.  
  
"Thank you, Master." The catch in Kenobi's voice was not so well controlled this time.  
  
Yoda sensed that the boy needed time alone to meditate. "Welcome, you are, Obi Wan. Prepare for tonight, I must. See you at the service, I will."  
  
With that, Yoda and his staff thumped out of the Palace room, closing the door quickly behind him.  
  
Obi Wan held the lock of hair in his lap and took up a meditation position. The happiness he felt at being Knighted was overshadowed by his intense grief. Rather to be a Padawan for the rest of his days than have it end like this. His sense of the Force was strong, however, and he knew that these events had happened for a reason. All he had to do was subjugate his emotions and do what he could to honor his Master's memory. To be the Jedi Knight Qui Gon had trained him to be.  
  
It would not be easy. But then, nothing ever was.  
  
************************************  
  
--3 Years Later--  
  
"Wow, you look different!" Young Anakin Skywalker exclaimed as Obi Wan opened the door to his quarters.  
  
Obi Wan gazed down at the boy with a crooked grin. "Hello, Anakin. What can I do for you today?" He had been off on missions almost continually since his Knighting. The boy had not changed much, even though Obi Wan hadn't set eyes on Anakin since their return from Naboo. Since Qui Gon's funeral and the big parade the next day, which neither of them had felt any joy in attending.  
  
Anakin peered around the man in front of him, eyeing the bowl of fruit on his entry table. "May I come in, Master? Please?" The boy's voice was on the verge of changing, and wobbled between boyish tenor and mature baritone.  
  
A bit flustered, wanting to relax after so many months away, Obi Wan reluctantly smiled and waved a hand toward the kitchen area.  
  
"Of course, Anakin, please, come in." Obi Wan could tell the boy coveted his tomba fruit. "Would you like a tomba, Ani?"  
  
Young blue eyes lit up and the boy nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! Thank you, Master." He reached for the purple skinned fruit as a dark look came over his face. "But please, DON'T call me 'Ani'. It makes me sound like a little kid!"  
  
Taken aback by the sharpness in Anakin's tone, Obi Wan frowned down at the boy. "There is no shame in being a child, when you ARE a child, Anakin."  
  
The forbidding look intensified and the Jedi observed the fruit's thin skin rupture as Ani's pale fingers dug into it. Then, as fast as it had come, the angry expression was gone.  
  
"Yes." A sigh. "You're right, of course, Obi Wan." The juice running down his fingers was quickly licked away. "So." A bite of fruit and hasty chewing, followed by a loud swallow. "Where have you been all this time?"  
  
Obi Wan was astonished. Uncertain if he should call the boy on his sudden outburst of temper, he hesitated for a moment. Sitting down at the table next to Ani, he grabbed a tomba from the fruit bowl and examined it slowly.  
  
"Obi Wan?" Anakin asked expectantly. The change of address had not gone unnoticed, merely unchallenged.  
  
"I've, ah," Obi Wan took a bit of fruit and chewed slowly, biding time. A decision and a hasty swallow resumed the conversation. "Oh, you know, here, there, a few different places. Mostly boring diplomatic things you would not thrill at hearing." He threw Anakin a lopsided grin, remembering his own indifference to politics while he resided at the Temple.  
  
~~ I am not the boy's Master. It is not my place to reprimand or intrude. Maybe he has just had a bad day. ~~  
  
Placing the fruit down on the table, Obi Wan rested his elbows on the mahogany surface, set his chin in his hands, and silently observed the boy for a few moments.  
  
He was the same Ani, a bit older, a bit larger. And something else. Something Obi Wan could not quite put his finger on.  
  
Shaking a sudden feeling of foreboding off, Kenobi smiled at the boy warmly. "So, tell me, how do you like life at the Temple? Learned a lot, made some friends I imagine?"  
  
At the word 'friends', Ani stopped chewing abruptly and darkened once more. As before, the look passed in a heartbeat. "Oh yeah, sure. Fine, it's been fine, here." Anakin gazed into nothingness and his chewing resumed. His eyes met Obi Wan's with bright inquisitiveness, and his voice took on a spirited tone. "But YOU, Master, why do you look like you do? You DO look different, don't you? Or am I just," His brow knotted. "Crazy?" More chewing. The boy seemed to use mastication as a stress management technique.  
  
Young Kenobi was honestly puzzled for a moment. "What? Oh! I had almost forgotten! I have been on Solinia so long, I'm used to it at this point. My last mission was extended, I had been there almost two standard years." Obi Wan let his hand trail up to run through his hair, an absentminded gesture he had adopted over time. He noted the boy reclining in his chair, a look of relaxed interest on his face. Having just returned to his home, the mission was the last thing he desired to talk about...But seeing Anakin sedate and calm was worth expounding.  
  
"Solinia is very reclusive. They have no contact with other worlds. They ARE part of the Republic, but only allow trade through import and export conducted off of one of their moons, which is uninhabited except for an outpost designed expressly for this purpose." The Jedi took another bite of his tomba, gauging Ani's interest level. The boy nodded as if to say 'yes, yes, go on...'  
  
"At any rate, there is some conflict in the government, and I was sent to try to ease negotiations. As for my appearance, since there is no travel between Solinia and, well, ANYWHERE, it was determined that I would have to look like a native to move peaceably among the general population. A bit of undercover work, if you will." Obi Wan winked slyly at his young companion, earning a small smile in return.  
  
"The government involved know I am Jedi, of course, since they requested my presence. But outside of official chambers I was to merely be a visiting native from a nearby island." Obi Wan smiled and fiddled with the tomba pit, spinning it on the table.  
  
Anakin grinned at the young man he had wanted so desperately to see for the past three years. "I would never have recognized you! With your hair that color, and long like that. Your skin even looks a little darker, and your eyes? They aren't naturally PURPLE are they?" The small nose wrinkled in distaste.  
  
Kenobi laughed out loud, a sound not often heard, by anyone. "No, young Anakin, my eyes are not normally this color. But I fit in very well on Solinia, make no mistake."  
  
The boy nodded in understanding. "So why haven't you changed back to your regular self yet? Don't tell me you decided to stay this way?" The look of disapproval on the young boy's face set Obi Wan off to laughing once more.  
  
~~It's nice to be HOME~~  
  
"No, Anakin, I just haven't had time to change. I literally just got home when you came buzzing my door. And I have...other reasons." The young man languidly rose from his chair and sauntered into the kitchen area. He rested against the counter and looked once more to his small visitor. ~~Not so small anymore, though.~~  
  
Turning in his chair, Anakin finished his fruit off, placed the pit on the table and stared at the fruit bowl longingly.  
  
"Help yourself Ani, uh, Anakin." A head shake and a smile as the Jedi remembered his own infamously large appetite at that age. "Would you like a drink? I've been away so long, all I have is water, I'm afraid." The boy nodded, his mouth too full to speak.  
  
Obi Wan reached up for the cabinet and took two glasses down. Filling one with water and the other with Solinian whiskey, he returned to his chair to find Anakin working on his third tomba fruit. He set the water in front of the boy and took a liberal swig of his own drink.  
  
"Hey!" Anakin protested. "I thought you only had water!" A small pout before the boy took a sip of the clear liquid.  
  
"Sorry, lad." Obi Wan smiled mischievously. "This stuff will put hair on your chest, and you're not old enough for that kind of thing yet. Solinia may have it's problems, but making good whiskey is NOT one of them." The Jedi leaned back in his chair and put his booted feet up on his dining room table. One arm flung behind his head, the other cradling the glass of precious amber liquid, he smiled at Anakin and raised his glass. "Here's to my first totally failed mission, my boy."  
  
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--The Following Day--  
  
They had been sparring for nearly an hour when Obi Wan's comlink beeped insistently.  
  
Anakin had only been in training for 3 years, but he had learned much. His skills with a saber rivaled those who had been at Temple much longer. Even still, the boy was no match for Obi Wan Kenobi.  
  
As the fight went on, Anakin realized the knight was going easy on him. He wasn't even really TRYING. The man had not faltered once, and his faraway look told Anakin that Obi Wan's mind wasn't even all that focused on their fight.  
  
The man was barely paying attention, and still managing to block every thrust, find every opening, and give no ground whatsoever.  
  
Anger washed over the boy once more, as it had several times during the match. He knew that Kenobi was considered equal to Mace Windu and inferior only to Yoda as a swordsman, but even so, to be unable to rattle the man at all, especially when Obi Wan was so obviously preoccupied, enraged the initiate to the point of outwardly losing control.  
  
Obi Wan, attending to his comlink, sensed none of this. He stepped out of the training circle and deactivated his lightsaber with a quick nod to Anakin. Turning his back on the boy, he thumbed the device on as the beeping subsided. "Kenobi."  
  
The word was not even off his lips when Obi Wan felt a white hot pain sear through the skin on his back. Crying out in pain and surprise, he reacted immediately, throwing himself to the ground and twisting as he activated his lightsaber, just in time to see Anakin deactivate his weapon and run full speed out of the training room.  
  
"Obi Wan!?" Mace Windu had heard the man cry out, and his worried voice spoke through the comlink, which had been dropped in Obi Wan's attempt to defend himself. "What's going on there!?"  
  
Shocked beyond all reason, it took Obi Wan a few moments to gather his wits enough to reach for the device and speak as calmly as possible. He pulled himself into a sitting position and stared towards the door that had provided Anakin's hasty exit. The pain in his back was intense, and he realized at once that the boy must have notched the power on his saber up to well above training level.  
  
"Obi Wan!" Mace's voice reverberated in the empty room, sounding even more irritated than previously.  
  
"Ah," Kenobi calmed himself even as he spoke. "Yes, Master Windu, I'm here now."  
  
"What is going on? Talk to me, Kenobi!" Agitation fairly flowed from the comlink, almost a physical manifestation in the room.  
  
Obi Wan sighed and wished he had time to think before speaking to the stern council member. "Ah," The pain in his back was not subsiding, and his vision swam a bit as he used the Force to dull the fire in his skin. "Just a little mishap in the training room, Master Windu. What can I do for you?"  
  
"......" A long pause from Mace's side of the conversation. A sigh of irritation. "Report to the council chamber at once." And the Master clicked off, his decree given, his dialog ended.  
  
Obi Wan allowed himself a few more moments to sit on the training room floor. He did not know which was worse. The physical pain of the wound that he knew was much more than just a scratch...Or the knowledge that Anakin Skywalker, The Chosen One, beloved of his late Master, the boy Qui Gon had spent his last few seconds of life protecting by extracting an unreasonable, and ultimately unfulfillable, promise from his own Padawan...Had just attacked him in cold blood with a nearly full powered lightsaber.  
  
~~No. I DO know which is worse. No contest.~~  
  
His thoughts a jumble of pain, confusion, and dismay -but noticeably not anger- Obi Wan pulled himself up off the floor. He knew he should report to the healers, but Windu was not a man to keep waiting. Heaving a heavy sigh, Kenobi slowly made his way towards the Council chamber.  
  
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TO BE CONTINUED... 


	2. Innocent Guilt

***SEE DISCLAIMERS ON CHAPTER ONE***  
  
~~ personal thought ** Force communication CAPS emphasis  
  
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--Chapter Two: Innocent Guilt --  
  
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Obi-Wan only made it a few steps out of the training room before chills and dizziness overtook him.  
  
~~I've seriously underestimated my wound.~~  
  
Mace Windu or no, he was not going to make it to the council chamber. Reversing direction, he began to make his way toward the healing center.  
  
A few paces later, nausea overtook him and his vision began to swim. He slumped against a wall, trying to stabilize himself.  
  
"Are you all right, Master?" A small voice asked, both concerned and a bit fearful. The delicate hands played over each other, nervous tension apparent in their quick movements.  
  
The small boy looked to be about six, and Obi Wan tried to focus. In defeat, he closed his eyes and leaned against the wall, gasping as his back came in contact with the hard surface.  
  
"No, little one, I'm afraid I am far from all right." Obi Wan whispered out as he struggled to remain conscious. Sweat popped out on his forehead as he concentrated on getting the words out. "Would you be so kind as to fetch me a healer, please? I thought I could make it on my own, but . . . evidently not . . . " The last words came out slurred as Kenobi sank down onto the plush carpet of the hallway.  
  
He vaguely heard small footsteps rushing away from him. Then his battle was over as he allowed himself to fade out. He only hoped the little boy returned with help soon.  
  
*****************  
  
Sticky. Wet. Slimy.  
  
~~ What in the hells . . . ~~ Then, a realization. ~~ Bacta ~~  
  
Obi Wan would have done just about anything to avoid being put in a bacta tank. Scarring? Sure, it adds character. A few patches of the ointment could have healed the wound, he imagined, but someone in their infinite wisdom had elected to submerge him in the nasty stuff.  
  
~~Bant. Gotta be Bant. She *knows* how much I hate this cursed tank.~~  
  
In reality Obi Wan knew that Bant would not put him in the tank unless it was necessary. He had always hated going to the healers. It brought out a petulance in him that he would have liked to disown.  
  
He closed his eyes and allowed himself to slip into a healing meditation. Not much else to do in a bacta tank, and anything to make the time go faster was a plus.  
  
******************  
  
"Any idea how this happened?" Bant raised her bulbous silver eyes to Mace, who was intently staring at the floating form in the tank.  
  
Obi Wan's back was to him, and seeing the angry red gash brought a purse to Windu's lips as he shook his head. "No. He said there was an accident in the training room, but I don't know who was with him. I've made some inquiries, no one else seems to know, either." More head shaking. "I find it hard to believe THAT" he pointed to Obi Wan "was an accident. I find that VERY hard to believe. No way was Obi Wan moving when that happened. The line is too even. He must have been standing still. And that means someone attacked him on purpose." Mace nodded as he worked it out in his mind. "Right after he answered my comlink call."  
  
Bant nodded her assent. "I can't be one hundred percent sure how it happened, but I CAN tell you it WAS purposefully done. It looks like someone just drew the tip of a saber across his skin for a split second. Just enough to sever through skin and nerves . . . and through the muscles in the way. Thankfully no bone injuries though. Although with a hot saber, that's a very fine line to tread. I'd have to assume whomever it was wanted to injure him, but not kill him." She got up and walked to the tank, staring at her unconscious friend through the glass. "Why would anyone at the Temple do this? Why didn't Obi Wan FEEL it coming?" Her brow knitted and she resumed her seat at the desk. "This just makes no sense!" Her large silver eyes turned to Mace, and he could see the unshed tears there. He knew Obi Wan and Bant had been close since childhood, and understood the depth of her emotion at seeing her friend so seriously wounded.  
  
Windu himself liked the boy quite well. ~~Boy? He's a man now, Windu . . . Times change.~~ Mace realized Obi Wan had grown into one of their best and brightest, but even so he had no enemies that the man knew of. Besides, ENEMIES, at the TEMPLE? Who could even think of such a thing? Jedi don't harbor those kinds of grudges. Sure, not everyone likes everyone else, but to be so enraged with someone as to deliberately wound them out of spite? Unthinkable.  
  
Yet it had happened. The proof of it floated in goo not 10 feet away from him.  
  
Mace sighed and put his broad, warm hand on Bant's shoulder. He sent the girl waves of serenity, knowing she would not cease to worry, but hoping he could ease her anxiety somewhat. "I have to go speak to Master Yoda about this. How long do you expect him to be in there?" He jerked his thumb toward the tank.  
  
"Two or three days, I think." Bant showed a small smile. "Anyone but Obi Wan, maybe longer . . . But he has always been a fast healer. I think it's because he hates it here." Her smile grew into a grin, remembering all the times Qui Gon had to literally drag his apprentice into the healing center. For someone who despised healers so much, Obi Wan sure got injured a lot. Far from clumsy, he was, nevertheless, accident prone. Or just too brave for his own good, running into situations where walking would have been preferred. "You want me to call you when he wakes up? When he sees where he is, he won't be happy. Might be nice to have someone else here to shoulder the death stares he'll be sure to give me." Smiling up at the tall Master, Bant realized she was speaking too familiarly with Windu. He was a council member, after all.  
  
Mace smiled down at her, no hint of offense on his face. "He's already awake, Bant. And no, he was not happy with his surroundings. But he is in a healing trance now, so maybe he will be able to get out even faster than you think."  
  
Bant showed surprise, realizing that the Master had felt Obi Wan's waking and dismay, yet she had not. ~~That's what separates the men from the boys.~~ Nodding ruefully, "Yes, if he helps himself along he will be able to get out that much faster. And I am sure that's his top priority at the moment."  
  
"Ok then, healer Bant, keep me posted. I'm sure Master Yoda will have much to say about this little development." He knocked twice on her desk, a strange habit he evidenced when leaving a room, and departed.  
  
Bant walked to the bacta tank and stared at her friend, arms crossed and head cocked to one side. The redness on the wound seemed to be fading, but she could still see the frayed muscle and tissue between the skin of the gash. While not life threatening, it was still a horrible wound. The cauterization of the saber had kept Obi Wan from bleeding to death within minutes. Even so, if left untreated, infection would have set in and the injury could very well have been fatal.  
  
The healer returned to her desk, waiting for her obstinate patient to wake up and commence glaring at her.  
  
******************************  
  
Mace Windu and Master Yoda sat in the Temple Security office, reviewing the holo tapes from the training rooms. The camera system had been installed after the infamous Xanatos incident. The break in and attempted kidnapping and murder had convinced the Council that they were not as secure as they had once thought. For the past several years, cameras had been active in all public areas.  
  
Having no clue which training room Obi Wan had used, Yoda and Windu slowly checked each holo individually. There were a great many training rooms. At least they knew the exact time frame, and so the search was not as hideous as it could have been.  
  
Finally, Mace stared at an image of Kenobi sparring with someone, approximately an hour before his comlink call to the young Knight. Obi Wan bowed, and the match began.  
  
Pausing the image, Mace signaled to Yoda. "Here it is, Master. Room 241, second level, B wing. Near Obi Wan's quarters. We should have thought to start there." The Masters had easily gone through more than 100 holos before finding this correct one.  
  
Yoda thumped over to where Mace was sitting, and took up residence in the chair next to the dark imposing man. The hover chair adjusted its height, and Yoda was brought up even with Mace. "Thankful, I am. Many more tapes, there are. The sooner the attacker is identified, the better."  
  
Yoda pressed the button that resumed the holo image to 'play' mode. The quality was not very good, and identification would have to wait until Obi Wan's partner came into closer range. The Masters could see that the suspect was a boy, no older than 13, assuming he was average height. The boy was more than competent for his age, but it was obvious he was far below Kenobi's skill level. No surprise there. Mace and Yoda both realized that Obi Wan was not focusing on the match, his expression was far away, distracted. He nevertheless was quick and amazingly prescient in anticipating his opponent's moves. Even so, Mace had had the pleasure of fighting alongside Kenobi, and he knew the man was not really trying. Unfortunately, the image of the boy was still too far away for identification.  
  
"There. Freeze and enhance." Windu and Yoda leaned forward to see the image more clearly as the computer magnified and sharpened the holo.  
  
A meaningful glance was exchanged, and Windu leaned back in his chair. "Well. This is not good." Yoda stared at him. "Sorry for stating the obvious. What I mean is: This is worse than I thought."  
  
The picture of the boy in the holo showed a look of intense anger, possibly even hatred. The eyes were narrowed, the lips a straight hard line. The image was obviously Anakin Skywalker.  
  
"Make sure, we must. Resume play." Yoda commanded the computer, and the holo sprang back into life.  
  
For over an hour, the two revered Masters took in the sparring match. The boy wavered between serenity and anger with alarming deftness, one emotion vanishing, only to be replaced with another within moments. The look of anger returned several times, each seemingly more intense than the last.  
  
Obi Wan's preoccupation only wavered a couple of times, and that due to an apparent itch on his right thigh, and a swatch of hair that escaped its tie and fell into his face.  
  
~~ I can understand the boy's emotion. ~~ Mace thought. ~~ He's getting his ass handed to him on a platter by a man who is barely aware of where he is or what he's doing. ~~ But, Mace had to admit, that was hardly Obi Wan's fault. He couldn't change who he was. But it would have been more appropriate for him to at least TRY to APPEAR engaged in the match. Instead he looked like he was musing on what color to paint his 'fresher.  
  
Finally, the moment of truth came. Yoda and Mace watched as Kenobi executed a twisting leap to avoid his partner's well timed thrust, then go still. Both figures stopped abruptly, and Obi Wan looked down to his comlink. Deactivating his 'saber, he bowed quickly to Anakin, nodded at the boy with a slight smile, and turned his back as he raised the device to answer Mace's call.  
  
"Half speed," Mace commanded the computer, and the image slowed dramatically. Both Masters leaned forward, knowing this next part was terribly important indeed.  
  
They noted Obi Wan, standing still, back turned, speaking into his comlink. The boy stood a few meters behind him, saber still glowing. Suddenly Ani's face went slack, empty of all emotion. His eyes seemed unfocused, staring into nothing. His hands made a deft, sure movement on the hilt of his weapon.  
  
"Pause. Rewind two seconds. Magnify quad two, power 300." Mace's voice was clipped. He knew what he had seen, but had to make sure.  
  
The computer made its adjustments, and the boy's weapon hand came into a sharp focus. "Play, quarter speed." The image began to move, and the Masters both saw what they had hoped was not what it appeared. But they saw exactly what they had feared they would.  
  
Anakin's hand on the power switch, notching the intensity of the training 'saber up. One . . . two levels. Not full power . . . just enough power to cut through flesh, but not sever a man in half. Not saw through bone.  
  
Training level one did little more than sting badly. Level two could leave a nasty red burn. Level three and four, blistering, then charring of the skin, shallow cuts. Level five would cut through the skin and organs quite efficiently, stopping only at bone. Level six - full power. Would cut through damn near anything.  
  
The boy's saber had been on level three during the match, an appropriate level for one of his skill.  
  
Anakin had quite deliberately pulled the power knob out, set it to level five, then pressed it back down. When his finger depressed the button a second time, the green glow intensified abruptly.  
  
"Pause." Mace sat back and stared at the small green form beside him.  
  
The small green form stared back. "Magnification 200, full image. Play back half speed."  
  
The holo resumed play, and the Jedi watched as Anakin walked calmly over to Obi Wan. He positioned his light saber at a downward angle, and suddenly struck Kenobi diagonally, a perfect straight line from the man's hip to his shoulder. Just the one sweeping upward motion, and the tunic on the older man's back separated, showing a deep, broad crevice of red muscle and nerves, easily 2 feet long and an inch wide.  
  
A devastating wound.  
  
The calm expression never left the boy's face, even as he deactivated his light saber and ran from the room.  
  
****************************  
  
Bant studied the boy as he gazed at the still floating form in the bacta tank. She knew who he was, of course, everyone did. It had been three years since Qui Gon had brought the boy, with claims of his being the prophesied 'Chosen One'. Three years since Qui Gon had publicly dumped his Padawan in favor of the boy. Bant's mouth tightened with the memory. She was fairly sure that Obi Wan had never really talked to his late Master about his feelings. But he had talked to her. He had talked to her plenty. And every word out of his mouth had contributed to the wall of dislike that she still harbored toward Qui Gon Jinn, even in death.  
  
~~ At least he didn't get his dying wish. Obi Wan won't be made to pay for Jinn's mistakes.~~  
  
The boy had come to the healers soon after Windu had left. He had curled into a chair near the tank, and commenced staring at the man and his slowly healing wound. Once in a while, Anakin blinked rapidly, and although Bant never saw actual tears, she knew the drill. She was well versed in the art of covert crying.  
  
After a while, the boy began to doze, his regular deep breathing occasionally interrupted by small snoring sounds. From the moment he had entered the center, Anakin had not spoken a word, or even spared a glance, to Bant. He had simply made a beeline to Obi Wan, and taken up his vigil.  
  
The healer glanced up as the door to the center swished open, revealing a returning Mace Windu, accompanied by Master Yoda. "Hello again Master Windu. Hello Master Yoda." She turned her eyes toward Kenobi in his floating cylinder. "I'm afraid there's no news, Masters. He is healing, a little slower than I had anticipated. His vitals dipped and he went into mild shock a while ago, we had to remove him from the tank." Windu's eyes squinted a bit at this news. He had thought the man's recovery was a foregone conclusion, not merely an educated assumption. "Anyway, we stabilized him and returned him to the bacta."  
  
A puzzled look crossed the healer's features, and she turned to stare at her patient. "I can't really explain why he went into shock. Not from blood loss, obviously. I have to assume it is just the trauma on his body of having so much tissue damage in one concentrated area." She looked back to her data pad. "Oh, and one of his kidneys had been damaged, that likely contributed . . . " The girl let her voice fade out as she realized that neither Master was paying her any attention.  
  
Both of them were staring at the boy sleeping soundly by the bacta tank.  
  
Yoda turned and addressed her. "The boy, came to see Obi Wan, he did. How long ago?"  
  
"Oh, he came in shortly after Master Windu left to see you, Master." Herlips pursed in thought. "About five hours ago, approximately. He has been sitting there, fidgeting, staring, sleeping . . . trying to hide his tears when he weeps. Poor little guy." She shook her head.  
  
Mace looked at her sharply. "Poor little guy indeed," his low voice barely above a whisper. He looked down at Yoda and their gazes locked for a second. Then the small Master thumped over to where Anakin sat, lightly snoring.  
  
Windu leaned back against the healer's desk, content to let Yoda handle it. Bant resumed her seat and went back to her progress reports.  
  
*********************  
  
Darkness. A voice whispering, too softly to make out, but menacing and scary.  
  
Running. Running. Running.  
  
A sudden stumble and the gloom enveloped him, so thick that no sound could penetrate it. No crying for help, no pleading for mercy.  
  
A white face swathed in black. A smile with no warmth in it. Pain . . .  
  
**************  
  
"Aahh!" The boy fairly jumped in his chair as Yoda's gimmer stick poked at his side insistently.  
  
"Wake up, you must. Bad dreams, good for the soul, they are not." Yoda looked at the boy serenely, his large eyes warm and benign.  
  
"Oh, Master Yoda . . . " Anakin let his breath out, a long shuddering sigh. "I wasn't having a nightmare, Master. At least, not one I remember."  
  
The green eyes narrowed. "A topic for another time, this is. Speak with you, Master Windu and I must. About Obi Wan." The green Master looked to the boy in the tank for the first time. He had seen the wound in the holo, but the monochrome of the tape barely hinted at the horrendous slash in the young Knight's back. Flinching at the sight, Yoda turned to Mace and gestured him over.  
  
Windu requisitioned two chairs from the waiting room and dragged them over to rest in front of the boy. He and Yoda sat and stared at Anakin for a few moments.  
  
"Anakin." Mace began, "Turn your chair so you are facing us, please." The boy did as he was told. He looked from Mace to Yoda, confusion evident on his face.  
  
Mace set a hard glare on the boy. "Tell us what happened, Anakin." His tone left no room for disobedience.  
  
The confusion on Anakin's features intensified. "Tell you . . . ? Tell you about what, Master Windu?"  
  
Mace and Yoda exchanged a glance. "Tell us about Obi Wan's injury, you must, Young One." His tone was less confrontational, but still very serious.  
  
The boy looked from one Master to the other as if each had sprouted horns or extra heads. He scrubbed his hands up and down his legs, a nervous gesture meant to stall for time. It wasn't working.  
  
The small voice finally began. "Well, Healer Bant says he will recover. That the injury is serious but nothing that Master Kenobi won't be able to heal." He got the distinct impression that this is not what the Masters wanted to hear. "I'm sure Healer Bant could tell you about it much better than I can . . . "  
  
Again, the Masters exchanged looks.  
  
"Anakin," Mace began, "You know what we are asking you." The boy looked at him blankly. Irritation seeped into the man's voice. "We need you to tell us why."  
  
"Why?" The boy repeated.  
  
"Yes. Tell us why." Mace's voice was controlled but had begun to fray around the edges.  
  
"I don't understand, Master Windu. You want me to tell you why Master Kenobi will recover?" The confusion in the voice and on the face of the boy was so acute that Windu had to give his acting skills credit.  
  
Yoda's ears drooped and his expression tightened. "This foolishness I will not tolerate." His gimmer stick thumped three times on the hard floor, a certain sign of his great agitation. "Tell us WHY you attacked Master Kenobi, you WILL!"  
  
Silence.  
  
Stillness only broken by Bant's clearly audible gasp from her desk a few feet away.  
  
The shock on Anakin's face radiated out from him, waves practically shimmering in the stagnant air.  
  
"WHAT?!" The boy suddenly shouted as he sprang from his chair. Windu was up a split second earlier, taking the boys arms and firmly pushing Anakin back down to his seat.  
  
The initiate's breathing started coming hard and fast, his eyes taking on a wild look, hands clenching. His voice was small and tight. "What do you mean, tell you why I attacked Obi Wan? I didn't do anything like that!" The last came out sounding small and desolate.  
  
Windu's face hardened. "Do not forget your place, Anakin. You know better than to address your elders so casually." The boy nodded and mumbled an apology. "Now, Anakin . . . Please don't make this any harder on yourself than it already is." Mace's large hand reached out to pat the boy's leg. "We know you attacked Master Obi Wan. We have the security system holotape to prove it."  
  
Bant gasped yet again. Clearly she had doubted the Master's claim until this last statement. Confusion and anger welled up in her at the thought of Anakin Skywalker inflicting that horrid wound on her Obi Wan. She tamped down the anger, releasing it into the Force. The confusion remained. She walked over to stand behind the seated masters, her vested interest as a friend of Obi Wan's prompting her to action.  
  
No one spoke for several minutes. Then the boy's voice, resigned, broke into the silence.  
  
"Masters . . . I cannot tell you why I attacked Master Kenobi . . . Because I DID NOT attack him. I cannot explain how you would have a holo of me doing that, because I didn't do it!" His composure began to slip as his declaration went on. "I wouldn't do that to him, I have wanted to see him for the past three years! He is my friend . . . " The boy began sobbing softly.  
  
The Masters were surprised. Anakin was not known to be a warm or overtly emotional boy. If anything, his reputation was for detachment.  
  
Yoda finally spoke over the boy's quiet snuffling. "Have the tape we do. You in it, we saw. But another alternative, there is." The green Master turned to Mace, and the chocolate eyes met Yoda's in assent. "Drop your shields, you must. ALL of them. See into your mind, I will, and determine the truth."  
  
Anakin's stark fear replaced his sadness. As a slave, he had built very strong shields without even realizing it. Dropping them was abhorrent to him. He had not even known how to do so until Master Yoda patiently walked him through it. Even with Yoda's help, the process had taken weeks to perfect.  
  
"Have something to hide, you do?" Yoda questioned, ice in his tone and fire in his eyes.  
  
"N-n-n-no, Master . . . " The boy sighed heavily and his head hung low. "I will do as you ask." Fear and trepidation made concentrating difficult, but within a few minutes the boy had torn down all his mental shielding, laying his mind bare for any who cared to delve into it. He nodded, keeping his head down, to let the Master know he was prepared.  
  
Yoda closed his eyes and sent the Force out from himself to probe the mind of young Anakin Skywalker. He hated to do this, but given the circumstances, the wizened Master really saw no choice.  
  
Accessing Anakin's memories, Yoda thoroughly examined the boy's activities that day. He went through them critically, searching for any hint of motive that would lead to Anakin's drastic action.  
  
Typical feelings for a 12-year-old boy. Insecurity. Arrogance. Satisfaction. Confusion. Jealousy. Infatuation. Excitement. All centered around his classes, none of it about Obi Wan.  
  
Reaching back in the boy's memories, Yoda focused on the last interaction Anakin had with Obi Wan before the sparring match.  
  
Obi Wan and Anakin sat in the young Knight's apartment. They had a pleasant yet unremarkable conversation. Yoda felt anger and resentment toward Obi Wan, but neither strong enough to warrant the vicious attack. One pulse of anger was incredibly strong, but was gone almost as soon as it had come.  
  
Sighing, Yoda went forward, to the attack itself. He saw Obi Wan and Anakin sparring. Several flares of anger as the boy realized the Knight was not really trying, that he didn't even consider Anakin worthy of his full attention. Fleeting thoughts of resentment, then a sharp longing for . . . Qui Gon. Interesting. More anger and resentment as the match wore on. Troubling, to be sure, but rational, not violent. No hatred or personal dislike. More like anger turned inward, toward his own incompetence.  
  
Suddenly Kenobi stopped, nodded, bowed, and turned his back to the boy. Yoda fully expected to see the boy swipe at the young Master as his back was turned.  
  
But he did not. Anakin turned, and ran from the room as he deactivated his light saber. Just as in the holo. But, critical difference - There had been no attack. No sudden, intense hatred . . . No thirst for retribution . . . No emotion at all.  
  
The small green Master went back, reexamining the point at which memory and fact diverged. He felt . . . something. A presence in the boy's memory, in his mind. A shadow, elusive, secretive, and totally foreign. Yoda felt certain this mysterious impression was NOT Anakin Skywalker. But, whatever it was, it resided in the boy, no doubt there. Very troubling, indeed.  
  
The Master also felt a slight fissure in memory. A line, as if a crystal had been broken, then spliced back together. A slight hitch where memory had been, but no longer was. A piece taken out, then smoothed over as one would smooth dirt on a grave. Yoda felt certain that the dark presence was responsible for this breach in the boy's memory. He sighed in agitation, then resumed his mental examination.  
  
Yoda fast forwarded through the boy's memories. He watched as Anakin returned to the room he shared with three other initiates, sat at his small desk, studied his mechanical engineering text, chatted with one of his roommates, went alone to the cafeteria, began to eat the mid day meal. Another boy his age spoke to him, and Anakin's memory pulsed with shock, surprise, and fear. Suddenly he was racing down the halls of the Temple, his food forgotten. He ran until the door to the Healing Center opened, looked around quickly, and froze as he spied Obi Wan floating in bacta. A brief glance at Healer Bant, then the boy dragged a chair over to the tank and sat. Worry. Surprise. Grief. Confusion. Sadness. And . . . hidden very deep, a small glimmer of . . . Guilt.  
  
Very interesting.  
  
Yoda opened his eyes, exhaust evident on his face. "Very taxing, that was. Done now, we are."  
  
Mace and Bant looked at him expectantly. Anakin slowly raised his head, pained and pinched expression intact.  
  
"Replace your shields, you may." Yoda instructed the boy. Then he fell silent.  
  
Mace sat patiently . . . Then could not wait any longer. "Well?" A small amount of exasperation leaked into his tone.  
  
Yoda stood and hobbled around the bacta tank. His eyes scanned the young man floating there, and he noted with satisfaction that Obi Wan had put himself in a healing trance. Trust Kenobi to try to shoulder responsibility in all things.  
  
Finally, the small Master came to stand before the three beings. All eyes locked on him in anticipation.  
  
"Attack Kenobi, Anakin did." At this the boy began a high-pitched squeak, silenced by a hard look from Yoda. "Quiet, you will be!" Thump-thump- thump, the gimmer stick protested. "Attack him, he did. But REMEMBER it, he does not." His gaze softened and he looked pointedly at Anakin. "More importantly, aware of his actions, he was not."  
  
Bant spoke up, as Mace brought his hand up to rub his temple. "Master Yoda, I don't understand. You say Anakin did do this . . . yet is not responsible. How can that be?"  
  
"Not in control of his own actions, was he. Must study on this further. A puzzle this is. Guilty the boy is . . . Yet, also innocent." Yoda flung a pointed glance at Mace Windu. **Not the time or place to speak of this, my friend.**  
  
Mace nodded. **We must convene the Council.**  
  
**Yes.** Yoda replied, their mental conversation obvious to the other two people in the room. **Until then, supervised Anakin must be. Cannot allow something like this to happen again.**  
  
"Anakin," Mace began, "the Council must discuss this. Until we decide how to proceed, you must be supervised." The man turned to the healer. "Bant, I want Anakin to stay in a room here until further notice. You have security that will assure us he does not leave the center. He will take his meals with you, and is only to leave if either Master Yoda or I come for him. Understood?"  
  
The healer tried to hide her dismay at the decree, and failed miserably. "Yes, Master, I understand."  
  
Yoda began walking toward the door, patting Anakin's hand quickly before shuffling away. "Have a Padawan bring your texts and books down, we will. Bring your latest droid project and tools as well, they will. Here at least until Obi Wan heals, you will be." With that, the old Master departed, a serious-faced Mace Windu following him out the door.  
  
Anakin slumped dejectedly in his chair, staring at the floor.  
  
Bant resumed her place at her desk, thoughts a jumble, mind reeling. She reflected that her earlier thought had been incorrect.  
  
It looked as if Obi Wan might just be paying for Qui Gon's mistakes, after all.  
  
***********************  
  
TBC . . . Please review! 


	3. Connections

***SEE DISCLAIMERS ON CHAPTER ONE***  
  
~~ personal thought ** Force communication CAPS emphasis  
  
*******************************  
  
Chapter 3: Connections  
  
*******************************  
  
** I am so sorry. So sorry. Please, please forgive me. **  
  
The words had been droning in his mind for several minutes, but the depth of the healing trance had fogged their importance. Obi Wan slowly drifted into consciousness, and suddenly those words were very relevant indeed.  
  
** Please, Master Obi Wan, I didn't mean to. I didn't know. I'm so sorry. **  
  
The Knight opened his eyes to find himself still in the hated bacta tank. His concept of time was off. He had no idea how long he had been immersed. Glancing around, everything in the healing center looked the same, with one notable exception.  
  
Anakin Skywalker sat on the floor next to the tank, his face pressed against the sleek curved wall. Mental apologies flowed out of him, sand in an hourglass of repentance.  
  
Obi Wan blinked, his brow knit in thought. ~~ Why do I hear him? ~~  
  
The concept was very troubling. He had no mental link to Anakin. No training bond, or a loose friendship link that Jedi close to one another frequently developed. Not even the hastily forged working bond of temporary mission partners. In all fairness, he barely knew the boy.  
  
~~ Maybe there's a I-just-tried-to-slice-you-in-half-with-a-lightsaber bond that I don't know about? ~~ He mused to himself, smiling at his own little joke. ~~ No, if that were the case, I would have had one with Maul . . . for a couple of seconds, anyway . . . ~~  
  
Obi Wan knew he was being silly -- An attempt to defer the anxiety this new development roused in him. He had mixed feelings about the boy. ~~ I USED to have mixed feelings. Due to recent events, they have shifted somewhat. ~~  
  
Checking his shields, Obi Wan went out of his way to be convinced of his own minds impenetrability. The last person he wanted milling around in his head was this kid . . .  
  
Looking down, Obi Wan scrutinized the boy. Blotches marred his face, red rimmed his eyes, his nose was running. It looked like he had been crying. A lot. Anakin appeared truly miserable, curled up on the floor. His words were not the only thing that came through this mysterious new connection. Feelings roiled into Obi Wan's mind . . . Remorse. Helplessness. Confusion. Guilt. But stronger than the others, more desperate and heartbreaking, was a huge sense of shame.  
  
Kenobi knew then that the boy had not attacked him with malice. He remained wary, but was somehow confident there would be an explanation to exonerate the initiate. The knowledge tugged at his heart as Anakin again began to weep bitterly against the tank wall.  
  
If he could hear the boys thoughts, then it stood to reason that Anakin would be able to hear his, as well. Obi Wan could not in good conscience let the kid sit there and cry all day. He had some trepidation at the thought of letting the boy know there was a bond between them. Responding would mean opening part of his mind to Anakin, not something Obi Wan was sure he wished to do. But, it was the will of the Force, and he felt it was important to calm Anakin down. Not to mention, shut him up so he could go back to his healing trance.  
  
** Anakin. **  
  
Startled watery blue eyes looked up in shock. Anakin sprang to his feet, hands on the tank, expression fixed on Obi Wan in amazement.  
  
** Stop apologizing for now, Ani. You're giving me a headache. **  
  
** Master?! I can hear you! ** Confusion. ** You mean, you could hear me saying I was sorry?**  
  
** Yes. Repeatedly. And now YOU can hear ME telling you to STOP saying you're sorry. We will have plenty of time to hash this out once I 'm clear of this blasted bacta. ** A relieved smile sprang to the boy's face. **Now, why don't you go tell Bant how deliriously happy I am to be in this tank, and that I'll thank her properly when I get out of this contraption. Which will be soon, I hope.**  
  
Anakin's small smile turned into a full fledged grin. He knew as well as anyone else Obi Wan's hatred of bacta. ** In the meantime, I am going to put myself back into healing meditation. You quit hovering and go . . . go study, or something . . . **  
  
Kenobi's eyes closed and Anakin found the suddenly familiar presence retreat from his mind. The sensation was a bit distressing. The connection, though new, felt right. It felt . . . natural. The void that was created by Obi Wan's departure left Anakin wishing he could wake the man up and talk to him. About the weather, about meditation, about katas . . .About ANYTHING.  
  
As he sat down in his chair to catch up on his class work, Anakin mused on this bond he seemed to now share with Obi Wan. It was his understanding that mental links didn't just HAPPEN like this. Even so . . . in all honesty, he was delighted with the whole idea.  
  
Smile growing impossibly wider, the boy stared up at Kenobi in wonder. The man's strange black hair shone with purple lights, part of his so-called "undercover work." Anakin suddenly found himself wishing Obi Wan looked like his old self. The man that Anakin had thought of daily for the past three years had ginger colored hair and changeable bluish sea green eyes . . . Not this weird alien color scheme. Why hadn't he had his hair and eyes returned to their natural colors? Those odd violet eyes were closed now, but had danced with humor during their mental conversation.  
  
~~ I practically killed him, yet he can still open his mind to me in order to ease my sorrow. ~~  
  
Anakin's admiration for the Knight multiplied with this realization. His feelings toward Kenobi had always been conflicted . . .  
  
He had resented the man telling Qui Gon he was dangerous. Jealousy had manifested itself as Anakin observed Qui Gon's obvious affection for the young man, even as that warmth had cooled in the heat of argument. Fearful respect and awe at Obi Wan's slaying of the Sith. At the same time, dismay and anger at Obi Wan having lived, while Qui Gon perished. Envy at Obi Wan's obvious keen intelligence, facility with a 'saber, and Force ability. Anakin knew he was stronger in raw Force power, but had not learned to finesse that Kenobi commanded, and he wondered if he ever would.  
  
On Naboo, Anakin had pinned all his hopes on Qui Gon. The Master had been kind to him, a calming presence. Obi Wan had seemed brusque, impatient, and arrogant. And he had obviously disliked Anakin from the beginning. But the boy had also sensed deep commitment and dedication, as well as honest concern for the people of Naboo, from Qui Gon's then apprentice. He had mulled over this the past years, and knew now that Obi Wan's dislike had more likely stemmed from his status as Padawan being threatened by Anakin. Hard to blame Kenobi for that, after all, he had been right. Qui Gon had moved to dismiss Obi Wan in favor of Anakin the very day they had returned to Coruscant. Anakin knew that Qui Gon's actions could very well have resulted in Obi Wan's being dismissed from the order. Not fully trained, yet too old to take a new Master, Kenobi would have been in a nearly impossible situation.  
  
Ani had many positive feelings toward the young Knight, as well. Gratitude for Kenobi's attempts to be allowed to train him, and for defending him in front of the council. Affection grew as the boy learned more about the young man, both from speaking to him a few times, and from speaking ABOUT him to others much more frequently. A kind of familial love from reading the accounts of his experiences on Bandomeer and Telos, how he had been willing to die to protect Qui Gon. Anakin knew from all accounts that Obi Wan would be a faithful and loyal Master, if only the man would ask for him.  
  
Anakin also knew of one other time when a spontaneous training bond had been forged. A time when the man and boy in question had been deemed a match by the Force. A time when the Master was hesitant to take a Padawan, yet cognizant enough of the workings of the Force to heed its call. A time when Obi Wan Kenobi proved his worth, offering himself up to be blown to pieces in a mine, allowing Qui Gon Jinn time to escape unscathed. Qui Gon Jinn, who had rejected him as Padawan not once, but twice. Yet at 13, Obi Wan would have died to save the man who had refused him, ending his dream of becoming a Jedi.  
  
Obi Wan had shown his loyalty by trying to save his would-be Master's life in a spontaneous show of courage. Ironic that Anakin had recently committed an act of cowardice that could have robbed his prospective Master's life from him.  
  
~~ Nevertheless, the Force is trying to tell us something. And Obi Wan Kenobi is nothing if not mindful of the Force. ~~  
  
The worst day of his life had suddenly transformed itself into one of the best, as visions of a wonderful Master/Padawan relationship danced in Anakin's head.  
  
He happily turned to his studies, sure for the first time that everything would be all right.  
  
Deep in the boy's mind, a small, dark, intrusive presence delighted with him.  
  
****************************************  
  
Bant glanced curiously at the boy. He had suddenly lurched up off the floor and now stood, hands on the tank, staring at Obi Wan, his face almost rapturously happy. He remained like this for a few moments, then returned to his chair and stared into space, looking quite happy with himself. Minutes later, the boy began studying from one of his textbooks, smiling all the while.  
  
~~ What in the world is THAT all about? ~~  
  
Bant wanted desperately to question the boy, but at the same time felt it important to keep her distance. She had to believe Yoda when he said that Anakin had not been in control of himself during the attack, but the healer was still disturbed by the boy. No doubt Obi Wan would forgive the initiate, given the circumstances. And if her friend would not look out for himself . . . Well, then she would just have to do it for him. At least as long as he was at the Temple, anyway. Knowing Kenobi though, that would not be long. He did his job very well, and there always seemed to be a mission requiring his presence.  
  
Just as the healer had decided to speak to the boy after all, a tall man strode purposefully into the healing center. Bant looked up, expecting Master Windu, and was shocked to find herself greeting Chancellor Palpatine, instead.  
  
"H-Hello, Chancellor." She began, flustered. "Is there something I can help you with?"  
  
~~ Maybe he took a wrong turn, and needs directions to the Council Chamber? ~~  
  
"Hello to you, Healer . . . ?" An expectant look.  
  
"Bant. My name is Bant, Sir."  
  
The Chancellor flashed an ingratiating smile. "Yes, Bant. Well, Healer Bant, I have heard through the grapevine that young Kenobi was injured. Seeing that he had a large hand in saving my home world a few years back, I wished to come and visit him." He gazed around the room, eyes fixing on the tank and its contents. "I assume that is the man I seek, floating over there?" His hand gestured toward Obi Wan.  
  
Bant nodded. "Yes, Sir." She began to walk, gesturing the Chancellor to follow her. They came to a stop in front of the tank. "Not much to see, I'm afraid. He will be in there another day or two, possibly longer. Knight Kenobi is a fast healer, and I expect he will make a full recovery."  
  
The tall man nodded thoughtfully, gazing at the still open gash on the Knight's back. "Nasty injury. How did that happen, if I may ask?"  
  
Anakin looked up in alarm. Bant glanced at him and then gazed at the Chancellor evenly. "I'm sorry, Sir. That is classified information. You will have to speak with Master Yoda or Master Windu about that."  
  
Chancellor Palpatine's eyes narrowed, lips pursed. "I see." He turned to Anakin. "Hello, Young Skywalker. And what are you doing in the healing center?"  
  
"Homework, Sir." Anakin replied, deadpan.  
  
Annoyance flashed across Palpatine's features, quickly replaced with a tolerant chuckle. "Yes, Yes, Homework. But why are you doing it here, and not in your quarters?"  
  
Anakin looked at Obi Wan, then back to the Chancellor. "I was worried about Master Kenobi, so I came to see him. I don't want to leave him, so I am staying here until he is better." It was not a lie. Sure, he left out the part about being ordered to remain in the center, but Anakin figured that was Jedi business and he had no reason to pass it along.  
  
Bant gave the boy a sly look and returned her attention to the Chancellor. "Once he is out of the bacta, Obi Wan will need to stay here in the center for some rest and physical therapy. The muscles in his back were all severed, and it will take time for them to regain the strength they once had. I expect he will be here for at least two weeks." Palpatine nodded. "Maybe you could return when he is out of the tank. He will be much better company then." She smiled at the Chancellor and returned to her desk.  
  
Palpatine studied the man in the tank. His anger welled up inside of him, but his face betrayed nothing. He had not had access to Kenobi for the past three years. Finally, the Knight returns from his constant Jedi missions, and now THIS happens. His patience was beginning to wear thin. Slowly, Palpatine became aware of eyes boring into his back. The man turned and stared back at Anakin Skywalker.  
  
"So, Anakin. You didn't come to see me this morning, like you usually do on fifth-day. Wanted to stay with Obi Wan, I suppose?" His tone was kind, understanding.  
  
Anakin nodded vigorously. "Yes, Sir. I am sorry I was not able to let you know, but honestly, with all that has happened, it slipped my mind. Again, I'm sorry, sir." The boy looked as if he expected to be reprimanded.  
  
Palpatine smiled and ruffled the boys hair. "It's quite all right, Anakin. Your loyalty to your friends speaks well of you." He looked around, at Obi Wan, at Bant. His eyes returned to the boy. "Well, I must see to my duties now. Not much point in visiting until young Kenobi is able to communicate. I will see you next week, Anakin?"  
  
The boy looked down and shuffled his feet. Would he still be confined to the healing center next fifth-day? He had no way of knowing. "Maybe, Sir. If Obi Wan is still here . . . I would like to stay with him until he is released."  
  
Palpatine's eyes narrowed. ~~ Perhaps these two are closer than I had thought. Useful information to have. ~~  
  
"Very commendable of you, young man. Obi Wan is lucky to have a friend like you." The Chancellor smiled down at the young man, ideas and plans forming in his head with this new development.  
  
Anakin's expression became pained at the last remark, but the boy said nothing. Palpatine turned and stared once more into the tank. The man nodded a few times, then abruptly moved to leave. His footsteps rang sharply on the hard floor, receding.  
  
Anakin was puzzled. Chancellor Palpatine had seemed genuinely interested in Obi Wan's welfare. But when the man gazed at Kenobi just before leaving, his expression had not conveyed warmth or concern.  
  
It had looked very much to Anakin like greed.  
  
***************************  
  
To Be Continued!  
  
(A/N: You can see a pic I drew of Obi Wan from this story here: http://www.tarynsjunkyard.com/My_Artwork.html click on the link for the Ascendency pic. And feel free to check out the rest of my site while you're there! The story is there, as well as some other drawings from AOTC and Velvet Goldmine.)  
  
*************************************** 


	4. Progress Reports

***SEE DISCLAIMERS ON CHAPTER ONE***  
  
~~ personal thought ** Force communication CAPS emphasis  
  
***************************  
  
Chapter 4: Progress Reports  
  
*************************** ***************************  
  
Darkness.  
  
Footsteps. Getting closer now. Reverberating. A vast chamber, sounds echoing eerily in the pervasive darkness.  
  
Whispering. Too soft to make into words. A swirl of black. Evil maniacal laughter splits the air. Hot breath on his skin. "Now don't you go anywhere, My Little Jedi. I shall return . . . "  
  
A sharp blow, then nothing.  
  
Eyes open . . . Eyes close . . . The darkness remains.  
  
~~ Must escape, must find him. Find him before HE does . . . ~~  
  
But there was no escape, for he found he couldn't move.  
  
**************************  
  
Obi Wan woke with a start. And that was when the pain began.  
  
*************************** ***************************  
  
Healer Bant, finishing up yet another progress report on Knight Kenobi, thumped her data pad in frustration. Somehow knowing her words would be sent not only to the Council, but also to Palpatine's office, gave her a feeling she could only identify as trepidation. The shift of her audience also made her wary. She did not know if it was proper to reveal certain things to the Chancellor. Jedi business, and all that.  
  
Her solution, though not perfect, was all she could come up with: Write a full report for the Council, and simply write a second, very bland and concise, for the Chancellor. Bant knew the man expected all the details, he had practically demanded them in his communication sent to her office, but she had no intention of giving them to him. The Jedi served the Senate, but were not subordinate to them, and not under the Chancellor's command.  
  
Asking the Council what to do would take forever by the time they discussed the matter and put it to a vote . . . Assuming they could come to a consensus at all. And surely she would be made to go to Council chambers and relate the Chancellor's visit to Obi Wan, taking her away from her duties for who knows how long. The Council may call it a 'briefing', but their inquiries were anything but short.  
  
~~ My patient, my business ~~ The usually mild healer thought with a distinct edge of steel.  
  
~~ Just let that snooty Chancellor even TRY to come here and bully me into giving him more details. Maybe I can stick HIM in a bacta tank? ~~  
  
The thought gave her a perverse sense of pleasure. Bant sighed and leaned back in her chair. ~~I love my job, but all this documentation is driving me mad! ~~  
  
And true to his history, her favorite patient had given the healer an awful lot to report on in the past few days. Leave it to Kenobi to surprise her even while unconscious. His case, while extreme for a flesh wound, should have been very straightforward. Heal the wound, revitalize the muscles, then skip off on your merry way, and don't let me see you in here again. But this particular man always seemed to complicate things without even trying.  
  
For some reason, Obi Wan seemed to be in more pain the past day than the previous two. He continued to keep himself in a deep healing trance, but as the discomfort worsened, the man was unable to maintain any kind of concentration. At which point he floated silently awake, arms crossed over his chest, giving Bant the Death Stare than she had known would surface eventually. But she could see in his eyes and the occasional twitch of his facial muscles that he was in more pain than he should have been at this point. The hurt had broken his trance, and she knew that was a bad sign, even if he was stubborn enough to glare at her and pretend nothing was amiss.  
  
At that point, Bant had taken it upon herself to administer a heavy sedative, and immediately Obi Wan had settled back into stillness, arms hanging limply at his sides, eyes closed, the worry lines on his face fading to relaxed smoothness. Even the ever-present furrow between his eyes had disappeared.  
  
Once complacent, Bant and her assistant Orick had removed him from the tank, cleaned the goo off of him, and examined the wound.  
  
The gash was closed, but still an angry red. More than that, an angry red with purple streaking. And the skin for three inches on either side was swollen and hot to the touch. Bordering on mushy, even. Baffled as to how infection could have set in even while Kenobi was emerged in bacta, the healer went about to running some tests on the skin and tissue surrounding the wound.  
  
What she found surprised her.  
  
Thankfully the problem was easily rectified once she identified the cause. Just another thing to put in her report.  
  
Needing to finish her missive, but also feeling an irritatingly persistent need to do ANYTHING ELSE, the healer stretched her legs out and walked toward room 1A, where her Obi Wan lie sedated and still.  
  
What she saw when the door opened was, to say the least, disconcerting.  
  
Obi Wan lay on his stomach, head turned to one side, eyes closed, lips parted slightly, a small snore expelled with his even breathing. The blanket was pulled up to nearly his neck, his arms straight at his sides. Evidently he had not moved at all since she and Orick had moved him from the tank to the bed. This wasn't too worrisome; Bant didn't expect him to have shaken off the tranq quite yet.  
  
What Bant did not expect to see was young Anakin lying in the hospital bed next to her friend. The boy had curled himself around Kenobi, one arm draped over the Jedi's back. The initiate's face was tucked under Obi Wan's chin, calm and still in slumber.  
  
The healer, unsure whether to disrupt her patient, stood her ground and did nothing. Obi Wan seemed to be resting peacefully. There was no sign that the boy's intrusion had disturbed him. Still, the whole situation bothered her.  
  
Why was this kid so attached to her friend? They had spent very little time together. Obi Wan had been away from Temple so long that even SHE felt a bit disconnected from him. His last mission had not even allowed him to correspond with anyone off planet. Anakin had tried to wrangle information about Obi Wan out of her shortly after her friend had left on his first mission, and she knew from his other friends that Anakin had questioned them, as well.  
  
Harmless inquiries really . . . What's he like? What places has he been to? Does he like to pilot? Is he good at saber fighting? Questions that any boy might ask acquaintances of one they admire. Even so, the interrogation had jangled her nerves and set off alarms in her head. She knew it could just be her possessive streak, but somehow it seemed more than that.  
  
And now the boy was in the bed with her patient, his arm casually thrown over the recently infected wound, sleeping like the dead.  
  
No, this wouldn't do. This wouldn't do at all.  
  
Walking quietly over to the bed, the healer briefly touched Anakin's shoulder and gave it a small shake. No response. A harder shake, and Anakin's eyes opened sleepily, his head lifting to gaze at her.  
  
Her tone was serious but not too stern. "Anakin, I would rather you NOT sleep in the bed with Knight Kenobi." She whispered. "We have plenty of other beds here, and . . . " She trailed off as Obi Wan shifted, his eyes opening just enough for a sliver of turquoise to shine through lowered lashes.  
  
"B-Bant?" His voice was soft, shaky, confused, and husky from disuse.  
  
"Yes, Obi . . . I was just telling Anakin that he should move to another bed. Go back to sleep." She shifted his blanket a bit, snugging it around his shoulders. Her hand grazed across his forehead briefly.  
  
Anakin's gaze had moved to Obi Wan, a small look of amazement crossing his features. As if the boy had never heard Obi Wan speak before, or never expected to hear him speak again.  
  
Clearing his throat, Obi Wan grimaced slightly. "N-no, no, Bant . . . S'okay . . . 's not botherin' me . . . " Still heavily sedated, Kenobi's eyes closed and he retreated once more into oblivion.  
  
Anakin lifted his hand to press on Obi Wan's cheek. An action of tender concern that took Bant by surprise.  
  
~~ I am SO confused. What in the hells is going on here?! ~~  
  
"Ok, Ani, you can stay. But please keep your arm off his back if you can. The infection is healing but I would rather there not be any outside pressure on the wound. OK?"  
  
The boy nodded slightly and closed his eyes once more. She had been dismissed.  
  
Sighing heavily, the healer shook her head in consternation and retreated to her desk, closing the door behind her.  
  
**********************************************  
  
TO: Jedi Council  
  
From: Eerin, Bant. Chief Healer, Jedi Healing Center  
  
Re: Knight Obi Wan Kenobi - Progress Report  
  
Esteemed Councillors --  
  
Herein find my official report on Obi Wan Kenobi's medical condition and progress.  
  
As noted in my previous report, Kenobi was brought in with a severe flesh wound to his back. As also noted previously, he was immersed in bacta and expected to heal fairly rapidly. Patient went into shock twice during his first day of treatment. Both incidents were mild. Stabilization was achieved quickly.  
  
Since the last report, Kenobi has continued to heal the flesh wound through bacta and self induced healing meditation. He awoke from trance on First day, 3rd hour. It was evident from his demeanor that pain had increased to a serious level.  
  
After sedating the patient, Orick and I removed him from the bacta and examined the wound.  
  
We found that although the wound itself had closed completely, a serious infection had developed. No sign of infection was present on last examination, four hours previous. The infection affected the wound itself and a large surrounding area.  
  
Upon testing a sample of infected tissue, we found a foreign organism throughout. This organism, Telliridae, is not a common one. It is a manufactured agent, specifically resistant to bacta, and has been illegal in the Republic for several centuries.  
  
The action of the organism is specific. While not initially harmful to a healthy host, upon injury the organism activates. The agent is used by some bounty hunters and a handful of Outer Rim governments in warfare.  
  
Once introduced into the system, it only takes a fairly minor wound to begin the process. The organism slowly infiltrates the wounded area over the first day, incubating. Two or three days later, mutation occurs and Telliridae spreads to healthy tissue, destroying it in the process. I estimated total body failure within 12 hours of activation. It is a very painful death if untreated.  
  
Luckily, this agent responds well to bacta's predecessor, salva. The danger is that few facilities use salva anymore, since it is considered obsolete next to bacta's superior healing qualities.  
  
Thankfully our center keeps a quantity of salva on hand for the less serious wounds, as it is more cost efficient and works just as well on small scrapes and injuries.  
  
I have no clue how this agent was introduced into Kenobi's system. In most cases it is ingested. Once in the bloodstream, the organism can lie dormant for, as my research discovered, several months. Seeing as Kenobi is injured fairly frequently, I would think he has ingested it relatively recently. And purposely, as this is not a biological organism and cannot occur naturally in food or drink.  
  
We have treated the wound site, which we had to re-open, and it is well on its way to healing. Once the salva purged the Telliridae from his system, Kenobi's wound was re-packed with bacta and it closed again rapidly. The infection had not spread into muscle tissue yet - we must have caught it within minutes of activation -- so there was no need to re-tear muscle that was originally wounded. The purge site is very sore and will cause him extreme discomfort for a day or two.  
  
I assume the Council would like to question Kenobi about this. Please wait until I clear him, he is not yet well and further stress will delay his recovery. I expect him to be functional and relatively comfortable within three days. Please respect my wishes on this, as it is my duty to protect the health and well being of my charges, and whoever did this is most likely far from the scene of the crime by now.  
  
Of course, any other questions you have for me will be answered as promptly as is possible.  
  
Respectfully,  
  
Bant Eerin Chief Healer  
  
**********************  
  
To: Chancellor Palpatine Galactic Senate Building  
  
From: Eerin, Bant Chief Healer, Jedi Temple Healing Center  
  
Honorable Chancellor:  
  
You requested that I keep you updated on Knight Kenobi's progress.  
  
He has suffered a bit of a setback due to an infection at the wound site, but it is under control now.  
  
We expect him to be fairly comfortable and able to receive visitors within three days.  
  
I am sure he will appreciate your eagerness to see him up and around.  
  
Respectfully,  
  
Bant Eerin Chief Healer Jedi Temple Healing Center  
  
************************  
  
Bant's mouth curled in a devious grin as she hit the send button. She almost hoped the Chancellor challenged her for more information. She would then go to the Council, and she felt certain they would back her up, since she had already taken action. Seeing Yoda tell Palpatine "Our own counsel we will keep on what information we give out," would almost be worth the reprimand she would surely suffer for acting without consulting the twelve honored Jedi. Almost.  
  
************************* ************************  
  
Kristoph Alistair glanced down at the beeping data pad. A communication for Palpatine from the Jedi Healing Center. A furtive look to make sure his boss was otherwise occupied, and he quickly accessed the message.  
  
~~ Infection at the wound site. But it's all fine now . . . ~~  
  
His brown eyes clouded with rage as he reread the memo. His features contorted with suppressed emotion, making him look much older than his 25 years.  
  
By the time the Chancellor's personal assistant had reached his boss' office, the face reflected none of this towering anger. A short knock gained him admittance, and he slipped into the suite with calm, quiet steps.  
  
"Yes Kristoph, what is it?" The Chancellor glanced up from the monitor he had been intently scanning.  
  
"A communication from the Jedi Healing Center, Chancellor. I thought you would want it right away." A knowing look as he handed the data pad to his superior.  
  
Palpatine took the data pad gingerly, and smiled at his assistant. "Yes, quite right." Quickly he read the short message and returned the pad to the man who had taken a casual seat on the edge of his desk. "Seems that Kenobi is going to be well in a few days."  
  
"Wonderful. That is good news, is it not, Chancellor?" His eyebrow raised, and he flicked his dark hair out of his eyes impatiently.  
  
Palpatine studied the man quietly. "Yes. Very good news. I would very much like to know who is responsible for this. I have waited too long for some bumbling nitwit to ruin my plans now." The voice that had started innocuously became extremely dangerous sounding. "It would seem someone has taken a negative interest in the young man. I would know who it is."  
  
Kristoph's face turned thoughtful. "Hard to say, Chancellor. The Jedi have many enemies. And, it could just be some kind of accident. EVERYTHING isn't a conspiracy." His smile was unassuming, and in that moment he looked to be the most trustworthy and innocent man on the planet.  
  
"Yes, yes. That could be. The Jedi would not enlighten me as to the cause of Kenobi's injury. Told me it was 'classified'." The last word was ground out, as if painful to expel. "And that damn healer was instructed to give me a full report, not some vague note about visiting hours." The man was very angry now, realizing he had been thwarted by someone so very low on the food chain.  
  
Kristoph moved to the chair by Palpatine's desk and casually flung himself down. "Well, you could always go to the Jedi Council . . . ?"  
  
Palpatine's look was sharp and disgusted. "No. I do not want to seem unduly concerned. I will just have to visit Kenobi when the little fish woman says I can. And he won't be in the Healing Center forever."  
  
Kristoph simply nodded, knowing his input was not required.  
  
"Contact this Eerin and thank her for her update. A little flattery may put her at ease and induce her to give me more information." The Chancellor's attention returned to his screen as he waved his hand in dismissal.  
  
Kristoph, data pad in hand, bowed slightly before returning to his office. "Yes, my Master."  
  
*********** ***********  
  
  
  
Red light filtered through his closed eyelids as he slowly regained consciousness. The first things he noticed, in no particular order, were that his back was on fire, his mouth tasted like the bottom of a sky-cab, a small line of drool leaked from his mouth, and some small furry creature was attached to his neck.  
  
~~ Gah. Please tell me I'm not really drooling. Please, someone tell me this. ~~  
  
But he was. One eye opened slowly, squinted at his surroundings. Realizing he was on a bed in the healing center, Obi Wan finally found some fact that gladdened him.  
  
~~ I'm out of that bacta tank. Thank the Force! ~~  
  
Now, what about this fuzziness against his neck? Peering down, he saw Anakin lying next to him, fast asleep, the boy's hair nuzzled against him.  
  
~~ What the . . . ? ~~  
  
** Anakin? **  
  
No response. Not a flicker. Not even a hitch in breathing.  
  
** Aaaaaanakin! **  
  
The small boy sat up, suddenly wide awake, but obviously confused.  
  
"Huh?! What!?" Anakin shook his head a bit to clear it, then slid off the bed. He tossed himself in the chair at the bedside and put his forehead in his hands. "Oh, man . . . Oh, man . . . "  
  
"Anakin?" Obi Wan surreptitiously wiped the wetness from the side of his face as he rolled onto his side. A wince and drawn breath betrayed his still fairly severe pain upon moving. "Anakin, are you ok?"  
  
Eyes peeked at him from under the fingers clasped to the boy's head. "I dunno. I feel kinda spaced out. Groggy."  
  
"You and me both. Stress can do that to a person. And I don't know about you, but recent events have wrung me out quite a bit." Obi Wan looked at Anakin pointedly, the question he hadn't spoken clearly reflected in his eyes.  
  
Anakin nodded, averting his eyes. "I guess you want to know what happened, huh?"  
  
Obi Wan rolled back onto his stomach, relieving some of the pressure from his back. "Yes, Anakin, I do want to know what happened. But not right now, we can talk about it later. Right now I'd like you to fetch Healer Bant for me, if you would be so kind."  
  
~~ A reprieve! ~~ "Yes, Master, I'll do that right away!" The boy scrambled out of his chair as if a herd of stampeding banthas were pursuing him.  
  
** Oh, and Anakin? **  
  
The initiate skidded to a halt just before the closed door. He turned to Obi Wan, his eyes a bit wild.  
  
** For now, I think it best that you don't tell anyone about this . . . Thing . . . we seem to have between us, ok? ** He smiled gently at the boy, reassuring.  
  
A nod. ** s-s-sure, Master. I won't. ** Then he was out the door and down the hall hollering for Healer Bant to "Come, Master Kenobi is awake!"  
  
~~ Why did I just tell the kid that? ~~ Obi Wan wondered. He sighed, wincing at the pain the small discharge of air caused. ~~ Oh well, Master Qui Gon always told me to follow my instincts . . . ~~  
  
Kenobi knew he could have asked Ani to buzz the Healer's desk to request Bant's presence. He was glad the boy was too agitated to think of this, the few minutes alone afforded him time to relax and order his thoughts.  
  
He closed his eyes and snugged his head deeper into the pillow and waited for his salmon colored friend to arrive.  
  
******************* *******************  
  
"Very disturbing, this is." The small green master paced the Council chamber, his gimmer stick thwacking on the smooth stone beneath him. He made his way to his cushion and sat heavily.  
  
"Yes. I would not have predicted such a thing." Mace agreed, nodding sagely.  
  
The Chamber was nearly empty, official meetings having been long over for the day. Mace Windu, Master Yoda, and Depa Billaba sat in a tight circle, pondering the news revealed in Healer Bant's report.  
  
"Surely this proves someone other than Anakin Skywalker is behind this. I find it impossible to believe that the boy would even know what Telliridae is, let alone how to obtain it and use it." Depa's gold studs twitched between her eyebrows as the smooth caramel skin of her forehead creased in consternation. "To be perfectly honest, I myself have never heard of this particular agent before."  
  
"Very obscure, it is. Not considered practical for use on a solitary target. To witness their victim's death, most assassins prefer. Very strange, this is." Yoda retreated into thought. His concern for Kenobi had ratcheted up several notches since reading the report.  
  
"Even so," Mace's velvet voice mused aloud, "Skywalker could have been used to deliver the agent, just as he was used to deliver the wound. That seems the most practical conclusion to me."  
  
"Yes, yes." Yoda resumed pacing. "Someone is using the boy to harm Obi Wan. Felt the presence in his mind, I did. Not Anakin, something Other. How this intrusion came into being, I know not. But I feel whoever or whatever it is, take control of the boys actions, it can. And leave Skywalker with no recollection of his activities."  
  
Thump, thump, thump, the stick made a steady, hypnotic rhythm reverberating through the large domed chamber.  
  
"Very disturbing." Depa shook her head. "Yet, ingenious. It would be a simple matter for Skywalker to slip the Telliridae into Kenobi's food or drink. The two have spent some time together since Obi Wan's return. And he would have no reason to distrust the boy."  
  
Mace heaved a sigh and stared at the floor. "I don't think it will yield anything to ask the boy. He will have no memory of doing it, and there is no way to pin down when it might have happened. How would Anakin get the Telliridae? Whoever is behind this would have to get it to him somehow. And that means . . . "  
  
The three councillors traded sober looks.  
  
Yoda nodded gravely. "Someone with access to the Temple, it must be."  
  
**********************  
  
To Be Continued...... 


	5. A Helping Hand

***SEE DISCLAIMERS ON CHAPTER ONE***  
  
~~ personal thought ** Force communication CAPS emphasis  
  
(A/N "Ballea" means 'Sweet One' in Mon Calamarian, Bant's native language.)  
  
************************  
  
Chapter 5: A Helping Hand  
  
************************  
  
"Telliridae? What in the blazes is THAT? It sounds like the lunch special in a greasy spoon on Malastare." Obi Wan's face wrinkled up as if he had just swallowed a bug. It would have been comical if the subject had not been so serious.  
  
To Anakin, it was comical anyway, and he hid a snicker behind his hand. Obi Wan smiled indulgently at the boy and winked. It was about all he could do, lying on his stomach with his head to the side. He felt like a fish that had been thrown ashore and could do nothing but wait for some kind soul to throw him back in. Or take him home and turn him into dinner.  
  
The Knight looked as if he had been through quite an ordeal. His hair hung in greasy purplish black strands, his skin blotchy with stress and fatigue. Even his eyes, normally so bright, seemed dull and flat. At least the eyes in question were blueish green again.  
  
Bant had gotten creeped out by the strange violet orbs. As soon as her friend was clear of the bacta and stabilized from the infection, the healer had taken it upon herself to call someone from the enhancement department. Shortly after her call, a woman appeared in the healing center to remove the chemical from Obi Wan's eyes that had turned them a brilliant purple.  
  
The turquoise eyes and purple black hair still looked weird to Bant, but it was a vast improvement. It had seemed a perfect opportunity to take advantage of. She knew the procedure was uncomfortable, and Obi Wan was already sedated, so . . . Why not? Besides, once he woke up, she would talk to him and he would look at her with those eyes . . . And she needed some reminder of the old Obi, the Obi she knew and loved. It amazed her how much hair and eye color could change a human's appearance.  
  
Bant glared at them both. "Telliridae is a manufactured organism, and it very probably would have killed you if not for your inability to totally hide pain from leaking out into your expressions, my friend." The dusky healer said gravely.  
  
"Ow! Hey just because you're in a bad mood doesn't mean you can manhandle me. Or fish handle me . . . Or whatever." Obi muttered as Bant less than delicately peeled back the bandage covering his back.  
  
"Yeah, yeah . . . " The healer replied, trying not to let the sadness leak into her voice. Anakin fared worse - He issued a startled gasp and his face drained of color. The boy moved closer to the head of the bed, fixing his eyes on Kenobi's face to avoid another glance at the wound.  
  
Obi Wan's brows came together. "Oh . . . Come on, Ani, it can't be all THAT bad. Surely it looks no worse than it feels!" He held a hand out, and the boy grasped it firmly. Bant continued to remove the old dressing, shaking her head as more of the gash was exposed. "Oh, Obi Wan. I can only HOPE it doesn't feel as bad as it looks . . . " He winced as she poked the inflamed skin with a delicate finger. "Orick! Bring me some more salva, right away, please."  
  
"Bant?" The question was inherent in his tone. The voice was low and tight.  
  
"Obi Wan, the infection seems to have returned, although not quite as extensively as before. This is why I check the wound every hour even though you grouse at me for it. Telliridae is uncommon enough that the files are ambiguous as to resurgence. I imagine the agent was not quite killed off with the first salva treatment. Unfortunately that means the ones that did survive are the strongest, the hardest to eradicate." As she finished her statement, a tall Twilek male entered the room, several packets of blue gel in his hands.  
  
"How much do you need, Bant? This is enough?" Orick held the packs out to his superior.  
  
"Yes, Orick, that will do just fine. Please come help me with this, we have to remedy the situation right away." Her expression was serious enough that Anakin began to worry. He looked at Obi Wan with concern and his hand tightened against Kenobi's.  
  
** Master? What's she talking about? ** The voice over the bond was shaky with uncertainty.  
  
Obi Wan cleared his throat. "Uh, Bant? Would you mind telling me just what's got you in such a tizzy, my dear?"  
  
The healer prodded his back a bit more, eliciting small gasps of pain from her patient. "I have to repack this with salva. Which means I have to reopen the wound. Again. This time I am just going to leave it packed with salva instead of switching to bacta later. It will heal slower, but at least we will insure that the infection won't return." Her voice filled with disgust. "I didn't leave it on long enough the first time. I'm sorry, Obi, this is my fault."  
  
"Psh. Don't be ridiculous." His voice was a bit unsteady. Anakin's hand grasped his even tighter. ** Anakin. You're cutting off my circulation. **  
  
The hand in his relaxed. "Sorry." Anakin replied out loud. ** Oops. I mean: Sorry. **  
  
Obi Wan smiled slightly as he glanced at Bant and her assistant. ** It's ok. No one noticed. They're too absorbed in the mess of my back. Just watch it in the future, or people with think you've taken to talking to yourself. ** The grin expanded, then dissolved into a pained grimace.  
  
Bant finally stopped her endless prodding and came to face Obi Wan at the head of the bed. She sighed heavily. "Ok. I must do this now. I need to know, do you want to be tranquilized or would you prefer to just try to block the pain yourself?" She placed her hands on her hips.  
  
Neither option seemed to please Kenobi. "Um. Well. What would you suggest, mistress healer?" Again a ghost of a smile touched his lips. Her friend frequently used humor to diffuse tense situations.  
  
Bant's expression turned clinical as she rattled off her list of duties. "Well, I have to open the wound with a laser scalpel, root around in there a bit to get several tissue samples, vacuum out the fluid buildup, clean the wound thoroughly, infuse the infected tissue with salva via an infuser, pack the length of the wound with the gel, close it up again with heat sutures, then cover the wound with salva bandages." She nodded to herself, pleased at her concise yet informative monologue.  
  
Obi Wan's face turned paler and greener with each phrase. By the time the bandages were mentioned, he looked as if he might throw up. ** Did I ever mention how much I hate healers? **  
  
** Not to me, Master, but I have heard as much from other people. You're kind of notorious for your many varied injuries around here. They even mentioned you in my class on using the Force to manage pain, said you had even come up with a new technique for it cuz you got hurt so much. **  
  
Ani couldn't help but grin. Obi Wan was very well known in the Temple, almost legendary, particularly after he managed to kill the first Sith the order had seen in more than a thousand years. Many Padawans held him as the standard they hoped to meet in their apprenticeships.  
  
"Well?" Bant was becoming impatient, her foot tapping on the hard floor. "I need an answer, Obi Wan, this infection spreads very fast."  
  
The patient sighed. "Fine, can we try it without, and if it gets too bad THEN you can tranq me? That anaesthetic made me feel like I'd been run over by a cargo lifter."  
  
"Ok. That's fine." Bant snapped gloves on and readied a hypospray just in case. "I imagine if the pain gets that bad, you will pass out anyway."  
  
Obi Wan rolled his eyes. "Oh, THAT'S comforting. I hate to say this, but your bedside manner really sucks, Bant."  
  
That got a smile from his amphibious friend. Obi Wan rarely used slang. When she was able to solicit such a response from him, she counted it as kind of a perverse personal victory. "Maybe it does 'suck' as you so eloquently put it, but I am only being honest with you. Okay, Orick, let's get this started." She smeared a special topical over the wound to attempt a dulling of the pain of the laser scalpel. "Obi, if you're going to try to meditate, you need to start now."  
  
"Yes, Ma'am." His eyes closed and began to slow his breathing. She felt muscles relax as he went into a semi-meditation. He found the discomfort and stress a bit too much to go as deeply as he would like, but it would have to do. ~~ There's always the hypospray, ~~ He mused.  
  
Anakin still held his hand. The boy closed his eyes as well, and imitated Obi Wan's breathing pattern. He slumped forward to lean on the bed, his head no more than a foot from Kenobi's, their hands intertwined. Bant was a tad concerned with this, but did not have time to deal with it now. Orick brought her the scalpel, and she got ready to begin.  
  
** Anakin? Ani . . . What are you doing? ** His mental voice was relaxed yet puzzled.  
  
** I'm helping you, Master. I don't want you to feel this . . . **  
  
** But . . . What are you . . . Doing . . . ? How.... ** His thought ended as he slipped into a deep trance state, a hair's breadth from true unconsciousness.  
  
** Just relax, Master . . . Don't worry . . . ** Ani's voice was relaxed but strong. In truth, he had no idea how he was doing it. It just seemed right . . .  
  
"Ok. Here we go." Bant said seriously. She REALLY hated to have to do this. She felt she had failed Obi Wan, having to redo what was already done once before. Her hand was steady as she drew the laser across Kenobi's back, re-splitting the bright red line of his wound.  
  
Obi Wan didn't move a muscle. His breathing remained deep and even, expression relaxed, making him look so very young. Anakin, on the other hand, gasped in pain and his body went rigid. Tears sprang out from his closed eyes.  
  
~~ Force! What the hells is going on NOW? ~~ Bant had no time for whatever it was. She had to get this infection cleaned out.  
  
The process consumed the better part of an hour. Orick began to clean the pus out of the wound as Bant took samples from different tissue levels. That done, salva was infused into the tissue, the gash was packed with more of the gel encased in biodegradable pouches, and the wound was resealed using the sutures. Now closed, yet more salva was spread over the top of the skin, held down with long bandages and medical tape.  
  
The entire time, Anakin gasped, tensed, whimpered, and bit his bottom lip till it bled. Sweat rolled off him in sheets. He wriggled in the chair, kicking his legs slightly. But never once did he let go of Obi Wan's hand.  
  
*********************** ***********************  
  
Several hours later, Obi Wan roused himself into consciousness. He remembered going into a meditation, and Ani holding his hand, telling him he didn't want him to feel the pain . . . Then, nothing.  
  
He was STILL on the bed, on his stomach. His mouth still tasted like dirty feet. But at least no drool was in evidence this time.  
  
He scanned the room and saw Anakin sleeping on a bed a few feet away from him. Buzzing the healer's station, Obi Wan flexed the muscles in his back and was rewarded with a sharp, stabbing pain.  
  
Bant appeared by his bedside a few moments later. "You're awake." She smiled down at him and ran her hand down his cheek. "I was beginning to worry. It's been five hours."  
  
"Bant, what happened?" Her expression was vague. "With Anakin, I mean?" His tone was worried and bewildered.  
  
The healer pulled the chair as close to the bed as possible and set down. "I'm not sure." She shook her head in bafflement. "He was holding your hand, and then seemed to go into a trance similar to yours. I didn't think that was too odd, figured maybe he just didn't want to see you in pain, or send you some reassurrance. But then when I started cutting, he gasped and his whole body went rigid." Obi Wan's mouth dropped open slightly at this. "He did that through the whole procedure. When I had to get the deepest tissue sample, he actually cried out."  
  
She looked at the floor. "I'm sorry Obi, I know this is going to sound cruel. I considered giving him the hypospray, but then I thought . . . Well . . . The boy seemed to be taking your pain into himself, and as weak as you are, clinically I thought it better for him to take it, THEN knock him out, rather than give the pain to you. I did give him the spray as soon as I was done with you, that's why the boy is in the other bed still conked out."  
  
She raised her eyes to his. "In addition, I think he wanted to do it for you as a way of making up for...Hurting you . . . in the first place...That's why I didn't just tell Orick to administer the spray to you. That and the fact that the tranq would slow down your recovery even more." Shaking her head again, she added, "Although I can't imagine how he did that, how he COULD have done that! There is something weird going on here, and I'm not happy about it!" Her eyes, usually so soft and kind, turned hard.  
  
Obi Wan held his hand out and she slid her slick warm one into his. "Bant. There is something. And I don't want others to know, but I will tell you. I know I can trust you." The healer nodded. Obi Wan was her best friend, more precious to her than even a brother could ever be. She would do almost anything for him. "Anakin and I have developed, well, some kind of mental bond."  
  
Her mouth opened and closed in shock. A profound confusion settled on her face. "What?!"  
  
Obi Wan nodded briefly then stopped as the movement brought a fresh wash of pain. "It only hurts when I move," he quipped. Then he got serious once more. "I can't explain it, Bant. I was floating in the bacta, and he was there . . . apologizing . . . in his mind. And I HEARD it. I heard everything he said. He was so miserable, so sorry, so . . . so much like a child. I felt I had to console him, so I sent back to him some words to calm him down." His brow creased. "I can only assume the Force wants us together for some reason. And something else Bant . . . " He hesitated.  
  
"Yes?" She urged him to continue, fascinated.  
  
"This bond, it's . . . Well, it's WEIRD, for lack of a better term. It's not like a training bond. It is much stronger than that. I know it isn't a lifebond, those only occur between mates. With Qui Gon, we could track each other through the bond. We could ascertain each others basic health, know if the other was wounded or in danger. We could convey feelings and emotions. But only very rarely were we able to SPEAK to each other in words. Only a handful of times, and even then it was only when we were under extreme stress or pain. Maybe my bond with Master Jinn was not typical . . . ?" He looked into her eyes, questioning.  
  
"Well, all I can tell you is what I know. My bond with Master Fisto was such that we could speak in words, but we didn't very much. It was effort and took a lot of concentration. I know that Yoda and Mace have a very strong bond, and speak across it often." She smirked. "It can be very annoying, knowing they are speaking to one another while you sit there trying not to notice. But Master Yoda is 800-odd years old, and you know what he would say. 'If when 800 years old YOU reach, be able to communicate mentally with such ease YOU will not..." Her imitation of Yoda was remarkably good.  
  
Obi Wan chuckled for a moment, then stopped with a gasp. "Bant, don't make me laugh! Hurts!" But he squeezed her hand affectionately.  
  
"Well," Obi Wan continued after calming his painful chuckles, "Anakin and I can speak to each other as easily as I am speaking to you now. With no more effort than verbal communication. And it's evident he used the bond to take my pain and keep me in a deep trance, a trance that I was unable to achieve myself." His voice trailed off. The Knight was clearly disturbed. He looked at his friend worriedly. "Bant, I barely know this kid. I can't fathom the purpose behind this. But I can't deny that it's happened." He frowned. "I hate to admit it, but it is a bit . . . Frightening."  
  
Bant brought her other hand up to stroke his cheek. "My poor Obi. You must really be concerned, I never hear you talk like this. But I understand. You're handling this far better than I would be. I would be 'in a tizzy' as you would say." She smiled fondly at him, and he brought her hand to his lips and kissed it.  
  
"I'm glad I talked to you about it. You have always been a good and dear friend to me, Ballea." His warm smile and sparkling eyes captivated her, as they seemed to captivate most people.  
  
"And you to me, Ballea." Her tone was loving, his smile returned in kind. "But, Obi, I think you should tell Master Yoda about the bond."  
  
His smile faded. "Perhaps you are right. I know Master Yoda would not tell others unless he felt it necessary. And it would help to have his input. He's been around so long. He's bound to have seen something like this before. But, please, don't put this in your report. I am not convinced the entire Council need know."  
  
She nodded, then a snort escaped her. "Or Palpatine! I sure won't be reporting it to HIM!"  
  
Obi Wan's face took on a look of profound confusion. "Palpatine? Chancellor Palpatine? What has he got to do with this?"  
  
The healer showed surprise. "He came to visit you, asked for reports on your progress. I assumed you knew him, he kind of acted like you did. Seemed to be a concerned friend or at least acquaintance."  
  
The confusion deepened. "No, I only met the Chancellor a handful of times, and even then only in connection with the Naboo mission. I've never even spoken to the man. Master Qui Gon always took the lead, of course. The Chancellor spoke to me once, at the parade on Naboo, said something along the lines of 'Thanks for your heroic efforts' or some such thing, but I just nodded and bowed at him and walked on." Now both friends were confused. Why would the Chancellor be that interested in Obi Wan's progress? Claiming he had helped the people of Naboo was a valid reason for a casual visit, but to ask for progress reports? Very strange.  
  
"Well, Obi, I've no idea. Maybe you should ask him, he said he would be coming to visit you when you are up to it." She got up and smoothed out the blanket covering her friend.  
  
"Well, I look forward to THAT." His eyes rolled to the sky. "I don't really want to sit and trade small talk with someone I don't even know while I'm laid out like a spacer on shore leave."  
  
Bant laughed as she checked his vitals. "Well, you could always refuse his visit."  
  
Obi Wan stared at her with a blank look. "Why, yes, Bant, what a great idea. With as badly as my last mission went, I hardly want to do something to deliberately irritate the Council. Which refusing to see the most important political figure in the universe when he comes to visit Poor Little Old Me in the healing center would undoubtably do." He raised his head slightly so Bant could fluff his pillow, then let it fall back with a -poof-.  
  
"Ok, Kenobi, enough chit chat. I do have a couple other patients to see to, and although I am your friend, I am also your healer, and I demand you get some rest. Can you do that on your own or do you need help?" Hands on hips again, all business.  
  
Obi Wan smiled. "I could probably manage it on my own eventually, but I'm fairly agitated due to all these strange happenings. Help would be appreciated."  
  
She leaned over him and placed her hand on his forehead. Drawing the Force around her, the talented healer spoke softly into his ear. "Sleep, Ballea."  
  
And he did.  
  
********************** 


	6. Try, Try Again

***SEE DISCLAIMERS ON CHAPTER ONE***  
  
~~ personal thought ** Force communication CAPS emphasis  
  
(A/N "Ballea" means 'Sweet One' in Mon Calamarian, Bant's native language.)  
  
*********************  
  
Chapter 6: Try, Try Again  
  
**********************  
  
Once more, darkness envelops him.  
  
No more running. Now, only pain.  
  
On fire, please make it stop! Blue lights up his skin.  
  
Try to scream but no sound comes.  
  
That voice again, smooth and charming, "I brought you a friend, My Little Jedi . . . "  
  
Master! No!  
  
*********************  
  
Anakin bolted up from his hypospray-induced slumber. Truthfully it was not ALL due to the medication. His little trick with Kenobi had taken a lot out of him.  
  
The boy felt uncomfortable, as if he had experienced a bad dream, but he could remember no details now. Only shadows, pain, and a horrible foreboding.  
  
He blinked the sleep out of his eyes and sat up slowly. Still in the healing center, but in a bed across from Master Obi Wan. The boy dangled his legs over the edge of the mattress and gazed at his fellow occupant.  
  
Kenobi looked almost normal. His color was still a bit off, a smidgeon too pale. But his breathing was deep and even, his posture relaxed, and he seemed to be sleeping very soundly. Evidently Bant had washed his hair while they slept, as it lay across his shoulders in damp blackish strands.  
  
The man looked more relaxed than Anakin had seen him in . . . Well . . . EVER.  
  
Quietly the boy made his way over to the other bed and climbed in. Obi Wan remained oblivious. Snuggling down into the blankets, Anakin again placed his head under his friend's chin and lightly slipped his smaller hand under Obi Wan's larger one.  
  
~~ Wow, he has a lot of callouses. Must be from all the saber training. ~~  
  
Within moments, sleep reclaimed him.  
  
******************  
  
A few minutes later, Anakin sat up in the bed and stared at Kenobi with a blank expression. The Knight slumbered on, so soundly that the sleep had to have been either the result of a sedative or Force inducement.  
  
Perfect.  
  
Anakin glanced at the chrono on the far wall. It was 2nd hour. The whole Temple slept. Or, at least, most of them did.  
  
The boy crept quietly, heading for the cabinet in which the tranquilizers were stored.  
  
************************  
  
Bant woke suddenly as a pain shot through her head. A disturbance in the Force strong enough to jolt her onto shaky feet ripped through her, and she was running down the hall, yelling for Orick, one thought repeating in her mind: ~~ Obi Wan! I'm coming! ~~  
  
She wheeled into Kenobi's room, almost colliding with her assistant as he reached the room at the same instant. Palming open the door, she used the Force to bring the lights up to full.  
  
Sprinting to her patient's bedside, the young healer's heart caught in her throat. Hoarsely she cried out, "Orick! The analyzer, now!" As she gave orders, Anakin sprang up from his place beside Obi Wan.  
  
"What? What's going on!?" He was obviously confused and disoriented. He looked at Obi Wan and the color drained from his face. The man appeared to be sleeping . . . but Anakin knew he was not.  
  
Bant grabbed him by the shoulders and said in a low dangerous tone, "What did you DO, boy? What did you GIVE him?!" His mouth opened and closed, no sound coming out. Bant shoved him away as Orick returned crying "Analyzer!" just as he tossed the device to her. A deft catch and the boy was all but forgotten.  
  
Anakin burst into terrified tears as he watched the healer and her assistant converge on the still form in the bed. "I...I don't remember! Please, not again!" He curled up in the corner, face in his hands, weeping uncontrollably.  
  
**Obi Wan! **  
  
Nothing.  
  
**Obi Wan!! **  
  
The bond was empty. He was alone.  
  
*************  
  
Bant pressed the small machine to Obi Wan's arm. Within seconds it would give her a readout of any toxins in his system.  
  
The brief moments seemed an eternity as she stared at her friend. His complexion was gray. The skin of his lips a matte, dusky blue. Orick opened Kenobi's right eye with a finger. It didn't dilate. He wasn't breathing.  
  
A beep from the analyzer startled the Mon Calamarian. Bant digested the information and sprang into action. "Orick, get me twenty units of Haphedrine, and fifteen units of Coflex."  
  
The Twilek ran out of the room to obtain the serums. Bant waited impatiently, running her hand down her friend's face. The skin was warm; she knew she had been awakened as he took a last labored breath. It had only been a couple of minutes. He would be ok. He HAD to be ok.  
  
She spared a glance at the boy in the corner. He had quieted down into silent shuddering sobs. ~~ I should never have let him stay in here unsupervised. My stupidity has killed my Ballea. ~~  
  
Orick stumbled back into the room and thrust the hyposprays into Bants hand. The healer quickly depressed both into the side of Kenobi's neck, then stepped back.  
  
Obi Wan's eyes sprang open and he gulped in a huge lungful of air. His head lifted slightly off the bed, then sank back down as his eyes fluttered closed. He continued to breathe in large syncopated gulps. But his color was returning and his lips were less blue.  
  
"Phylerol?" Orick questioned as he came to stand next to the Chief Healer.  
  
Bant nodded, still gazing at her patient.  
  
"How much?"  
  
"A lot. Can't tell exactly, but somewhere in the neighborhood of three hundred units." She shook her head, imagining the massive overdose being administered to her best friend.  
  
A low whistle from her assistant. "Force. That's enough to kill someone several times over."  
  
"Yes. Yes it is." A small tear escaped her and she wiped it away distractedly. Obi Wan was breathing almost normally now, his eyes half open but not focused on anything. "Come, Orick, help me with him. We need to get him upright."  
  
The two healers positioned themselves on either side of the bed and gently rolled Kenobi onto his back. They brought him upright with gentle tugs of his arms, trying to avoid touching the skin of his shoulders and disturbing the back injury. His head lolled backwards in a painful looking way as he was brought off the mattress. Finally the man was sitting straight, and Bant carefully cradled his skull to bring his forehead toward her. His eyelids were fluttering. His neck made small twitchy movements.  
  
"Wow." Orick peered at Obi Wan as Bant sat in front of him on the side of the bed to steady his position. Orick looked at her. "He's fried, Boss."  
  
Bant nodded. "Yes, he sure is." A glance toward the corner. "Anakin!"  
  
The boy did not respond.  
  
"Anakin! Come here, Master Kenobi needs your help."  
  
Ani unfolded himself and struggled to his feet. Sniffling, he wiped his eyes and walked cautiously to the side of the bed.  
  
"I need you to hold Master Kenobi's hands forward so he doesn't slide back. He can't sit up on his own and we can't adjust the bed to support him because it would put pressure on the back wound." Anakin moved to do this as she slid off the bed. "Orick, get me one of the adjustable meal tables and two pillows, please." The Twilek ran to do this as Bant began to take Obi Wan's vitals.  
  
** M--Master? **  
  
Still nothing, but the boy could feel the bond pulse between them. Maybe he could do what he had done before, and make his friend well again? He began to put himself in a trance and let his head drop to touch Obi Wan's shoulder,  
  
Suddenly he was being shaken and groused at. Snapping back to reality, Anakin looked up to see an angry Bant railing at him. "Don't you even think about it. I don't know if you could actually do it or not, but if you did, you would just succeed in killing yourself. If you were able to absorb the drugs from his system, you'd be dead before your body hit the floor. If Kenobi were your size he'd be beyond help right now. So just do what you're told and cut the heroics." Agitated, the healer returned to her duties, measuring responses and recording them on a data pad.  
  
Abashed, Anakin wept silently and held the arms of the man he had so recently tried to kill. Again.  
  
****************************  
  
Yoda felt the disturbance as the dramatic events in the Healing Center unfolded. With a sigh, he got out of bed and thumped with his stick toward the center of all this turmoil.  
  
~~ Not even safe in the Healing Center, Kenobi is. ~~  
  
Master Yoda had always had a soft spot for Obi Wan. The boy had come to the Temple very young, as an infant. He had been thoughtful and engaging even as a young child. The green Master chuckled as he remembered an indignant little Obi Wan, demanding, at four years old, that he was "big enough" to learn a rather advanced meditation.  
  
"But I AM CALM!" the boy had screamed, stamping his feet, upon being told that profound serenity was needed to even attempt the exercise. Yoda and Mace still to this day used that phrase as an in-joke, both out of its absurdity and a shared affection for its originator.  
  
As the boy grew, he became more reflective, a bit withdrawn, and too quick to anger. He had been a bit of a slow bloomer, and teased for his inferior height. His age mates equated small stature with weakness, and Kenobi had always had to overcompensate to overcome their prejudices. Unfortunately, his long training and serious nature resulted in his being a superior initiate in almost all areas, and his age mates withdrew all the more in their jealousy.  
  
~~ Except for Bant, and Garen. And that clown Reeft. Thick as thieves, those four were. Are, still, in many ways. ~~  
  
Obi Wan was a bit of a puzzle to Yoda. Supremely capable, frighteningly intelligent, undeniably talented with a 'saber, incredibly strong in the Unifying Force, and still so very insecure. An odd combination of traits. Kenobi did not seem afraid of failure - Indeed, he had failed at many things, many times, and always took it as a learning experience. He seemed insecure on a more fundamental level, as if he had fooled them all in some way. As if he should have been sent to AgriCorps instead of being taken as a Padawan Learner.  
  
~~ And there, to Qui Gon, we arrive. Much of Kenobi's fears, trace back to Jinn, you can. ~~  
  
Master Yoda stopped in his trek and shook his head, ears drooping. "A thump from my stick, you deserve, Qui Gon Jinn. How you are missed, my friend." He muttered to the air, and noted he was almost to the Center.  
  
His large green eyes squinted at the distance as a figure strode toward the Center from the opposite direction. Instant recognition, and the small Master thumped on.  
  
** Felt it, you did, my friend? **  
  
A sigh. ** Yes, Master, I did. I suspect you sent it to me just to con me out of a good night's sleep. ** Mace replied sardonically.  
  
The two friends met at the door of the Center.  
  
** If sleep I cannot, then sleep YOU will not. Need your presence, for the boy, I do. Fear this instance will have hurt him more than the first. **  
  
Mace palmed the door open and they walked toward Kenobi's room. "Why do you say that, Master?"  
  
Yoda glanced up at his tall companion as he thumped along. "Closer, they have become. My intention that was, in keeping the boy here. Had hoped it would give him strength to resist whatever compels him."  
  
Mace stopped in his tracks, flabbergasted. "You intentionally put Kenobi in that kind of danger? We should have locked the boy up."  
  
"No" A stern tone, not often used by the jovial Yoda. "Strong he is. Overcome it, he can. Have a chance to do so, he must. In the Healing Center, chances of his success are infintessimal. Best place to take such risk, this is."  
  
Mace frowned. "I don't agree with your methods. But I will hold my objections. For now."  
  
The small green head nodded, ears perked. "Thank you, I do."  
  
********************  
  
The Councillors walked into room 1A to find some very agitated beings.  
  
Anakin stood by the bedside, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, fidgeting. His face was anxious, and his head hung low. One hand flitted around his face as the boy chewed on his fingernails.  
  
Bant and Orick were changing the bandage on Kenobi's back, and having a hard time of it due to the awkward angle. The two were bickering back and forth. "Grab this end, its falling off!" Bant's voice was exasperated.  
  
"If I let go of this part, it will fall off too, then where will we be?" The assistant whined.  
  
In the middle of it all sat Obi Wan. He had been pulled forward to rest on a dinner tray table that was softened by two pillows. His arms dangled limply at his sides, and his head was turned sideways facing Anakin. His eyes were glazed and foggy.  
  
Mace and Windu entered quietly and peered at the patient.  
  
Obi Wan's unfocused eyes shifted to their general direction. He squinted a bit more, and his gaze almost fixed on Mace. It seemed his eyes couldn't FIX on anything, just kind of stare in the vicinity of something.  
  
The voice was low and dreamy as Obi Wan addressed Master Windu.  
  
"Maaace . . . " He drawled, dragging the name out over a couple of seconds. "Hullo, Counshul . . . counshullar . . . " His arm flailed around a bit as he tried to reach out to Mace and failed. Miserably. The arm wriggled into stillness as he gave up. His almost-gaze fell on Yoda. "Hullo, Lil Fella . . . " The smile was wide and totally devoid of evil intent. At least Kenobi's arm stayed where it was.  
  
Yoda's eyes bulged and Mace brought his hand up to cover his cheek.  
  
Bant closed her eyes and counted to three. "Obi Wan. Shut. Up." She went back to the bandaging. "Hello Master Yoda, Master Windu. Come to join the party?"  
  
Mace drew his astonished gaze from Kenobi and looked at Bant. "Party, Healer?"  
  
She chuckled. "Well, in all honesty, WE aren't having a party, old Obi Wan is the only one here having a party, isn't that right, Ballea?"  
  
Mace and Yoda shifted back to stare at Obi Wan as he smiled weakly. "Paaaaaarty" he moaned.  
  
"I fail to see the humor in this situation, Healer Bant." The tone was serious and indignant.  
  
"Master Windu . . . It's either joke or cry, if I don't do one or the other I am going to explode." A final tear of medical tape and she relaxed. "Ok. It's done. He's good for another four hours." She strode around the bed to address the Masters. As Orick gathered up the excess bandaging and returned it to the cabinet.  
  
"His infection has not returned, and recent samples show no more Telliridae. The constant salva treatment worked on that. So there is some good news." She reached out and stroked Obi Wan's hair. He closed his eyes and smiled stupidly. "The bad news is that Kenobi was given enough Phylerol to kill a den full of Hutts. I gave him counter agents, and they kept him from dying." Her mouth turned down. "Well, no, that's not right. Technically he did die."  
  
Mace and Yoda exchanged worried looks.  
  
"But they revived him instantaneously. He was down for no more than three minutes. I can't test it now, but he could have permanent residual damage from this. For now all I can say is . . . " She stared down at her friend, who was currently having problems blinking correctly. "Well, for lack of a better term, as Orick would say, 'he's fried'."  
  
Yoda and Windu turned to look at Orick. He squirmed a bit under their scrutiny. "Well . . . It's a technical term." He said with a shrug and a grin, before hightailing it out of the room.  
  
Mace folded his hands across his chest and sighed.  
  
Yoda hobbled over to Anakin. "Anakin?" He put his gnarled hand on the small quaking shoulder. With the Force he brought the chair over behind the boy and pushed him into it. The child sat down heavily and put his head in his hands. Yoda patted him on the back and returned to speak to Bant.  
  
"You expect Kenobi to be in this state, how long?" Orick returned with a chair for the two councillors, and Yoda sat next to Anakin, facing the bed. After a few more cursory glances at Obi Wan, which earned him a strange giggle from the young Knight, Mace joined them.  
  
"He'll be like this for . . . ten to twelve hours, is my best guess. Possibly longer. His body is under severe stress, he cannot use the Force to metabolize the toxin. The only choice I see is just to wait it out." Orick brought two more chairs and the healer and her assistant sat.  
  
"Can't you just . . . " Mace gestured with his hand. "Let him sleep it off?" An uncomfortable glance toward Kenobi, who was looking in their direction, his soft voice carrying to them in incoherent mumbles.  
  
Bant's expression grew serious. "No. HE MUST stay awake until he is back to normal. It is too dangerous for him to sleep, he could slip into a coma and we would not know. Besides, in a while the stimulants will overcome the Phylerol, and then I couldn't get him to sleep even if I wanted to." She turned her head and mumbled, "And boy will I ever want to."  
  
Orick jumped in to explain. "Once the Phylerol is metabolized, the stimulants will put Master Kenobi into a somewhat . . . Manic . . . state. And we can't use more drugs to stabilize it, that would just be too dangerous in his condition. His body will purge it on its own eventually. We figure two or three more hours of this," Orick gestured toward Obi Wan, who had taken it upon himself to softly sing a Correlian drinking song, "Then another hour or two where he will be up and around, but still somewhat loopy. THEN five to eight hours of the manic phase. After which he will gradually return to his normal self. You know, even tanked up, his voice isn't bad!" The Twilek gestured toward Obi Wan, trying to alleviate the almost unbearable stress in the room.  
  
Mace and Yoda nodded. "Loopy. Another 'technical term' this is?" The green eyes squinted with humor.  
  
"Yes, Master," The Twilek blushed bright blue and smiled shakily.  
  
Yoda turned his attention to Anakin, who had finally sat up straight and removed his head from his hands. His face was tear stained and puffy from anguish.  
  
"Initiate Skywalker," Yoda began, not unkindly. "Tell us what happened you must. But first, know this: Your fault, this is not. I knew the danger, the blame, I take." Anakin wept quietly at the vindication, even though in his heart he did not accept it. "Tell us what you know, then some questions for you, I have."  
  
Before Anakin could begin, Bant turned to Orick. "Orick, please go attend to our other patients, I need to be present for this. Reenan in 2B needs his bacta cast removed, and Fiore in 2C will need help with her rehab exercises. If you are done before we are, please man the desk."  
  
Orick nodded to Bant, bowed to the Masters, and took his leave.  
  
The three Jedi settled down in their chairs, and looked at Anakin expectantly as Obi Wan's eyes twinkled too brightly and his lilting tenor sang, "Oh the trees in the Vanderlow Valley, and the girl that was waiting there . . . "  
  
********************** 


	7. Revelations

SEE DISCLAIMERS ON CHAPTER ONE, PURDY PLEASE!!!  
  
***********************  
  
Chapter 7: Revelations  
  
***********************  
  
Yoda gazed at Anakin, sympathy and understanding in his eyes. "Now, Young Skywalker, tell us what you remember." His large eyes glanced momentarily at the warbling Jedi propped up on the bed. "Try to tune Kenobi out, you must. Serious, this is."  
  
As if requested, Bant got up from her seat and glided over to Obi Wan. Her smooth hand slid through his hair and she murmured softly in his ear. The man quieted and smiled at her with a slight nod. Returning to sit, Bant smiled and chuckled softly. "He should be quiet, for a while at least. I told him we were playing a game, and the person who can be quiet the longest wins a prize." The others stared at her. "He will forget within a few minutes, but at least for now he's stopped singing."  
  
Yoda nodded. "Hurry then, we should. Anakin?"  
  
The boy seemed calmer than before. His eyes closed as he concentrated. "I remember, crawling into bed with Master Obi Wan. The next thing I know, Bant was yelling and he . . . He looked . . . Dead." His eyes were large and sorrowful as they turned to the floor.  
  
"Dead, he was, Anakin," Yoda said bluntly. "Now, think harder, you must. Look deep within, and try to see yourself from a distance, during that time. Feel anything, do you?" Yoda sent calmness to the boy, hoping the serenity would help him.  
  
Anakin's forehead creased as his eyes shut tightly. "I remember, flashes. I see myself. Getting up. Looking at Obi Wan. Going to the medicine cabinet. I try to stop, I'm yelling in my mind, but it's like . . . It's like . . . Someone else is there. Someone else is controlling me!" Agitated, the initiate shifted in his chair as a tear leaked from his eye. "I don't want to hurt Obi, but I can't stop! I tell myself to wake up, to stop what I'm doing. Whoever is in control, they aren't listening to me. They want to kill Kenobi. He's just in the way. The one who is doing this yells at me, tells me to shut up . . . " The blue eyes open, watery and confused. "That's all. Nothing more until Bant woke me." Miserable, Anakin hung his head and snuffled softly.  
  
Mace and Yoda exchanged glances. "Anakin, it is good you remember that much." Mace patted the boy's shoulder. "That means whoever is invading your mind has begun to lose some of their control. He is no longer able to subjugate your consciousness completely. You must continue to fight him. Perhaps you will wrest control from him, next time, if you are vigilant." Windu knew the boy would take his words to heart and try to make them reality. Anakin only nodded and wiped his nose. "You think there will be a next time?" His voice was scared. The boy's nerves and composure suffered with each incident.  
  
Yoda nodded. "Until the entity decides he will not succeed in this endeavor, a next time, there will be. Perhaps next time will also be last time." The ears perked up. "Now, tell us Anakin, why was this instance different? Why did you see, even though control, you could not?"  
  
Anakin's face paled. "I. . .I. . .I think I know. But I promised Master Obi Wan that I would not tell anyone." A miserable look crossed the boy's features.  
  
Just as Mace was about to reprimand the initiate, Bant spoke up. "I think I know what Anakin means." She turned to the boy, speaking to his shocked expression. "Anakin, Obi Wan told me about it. He had intention to tell Master Yoda as well, as soon as he woke up and requested a meeting. I am sure he would want you to answer the Master's questions." The boy still looked doubtful. "It is commendable that you are loyal to your promise. If Obi Wan has a problem with you talking about it, I will tell him I gave permission based on what he and I spoke of earlier. I will take responsibility. OK, Anakin?" She patted his hand, impressed with Anakin's determination to keep his vow to her friend.  
  
Ani nodded slowly. "Yes, OK, if you think that is what he would want." His gaze shifted to the Councillors before him. "I think I was able to remember the . . . presence . . . in my head because . . . Master Obi Wan and I. Well, we formed a.. He called it a 'bond' . . . "  
  
Mace drew in a breath, a distinctly surprised look crossing his normally placid face. Yoda only nodded, as if this news confirmed a suspicion he already had. "Continue." Mace prodded.  
  
"Well . . . I think that my connection to Master Kenobi makes me want to protect him. When he feels bad, I want to make him feel better. When he is hurt, I want to help him. I mean, yes I wanted those things before the bond, but it's different now. Now, it's almost like a.. Well, it's just really important that I take care of him. I don't know how to explain it . . . " His voice trailed off, confused.  
  
Yoda nodded. "Doing well, you are. Understand what you are trying to say, I do. In addition, I believe this bond strengthens you, lends you some of Obi Wan's Force strength. This, combined with your concern and drive to protect him, allowed you to rouse your consciousness even though previously you were not able to. With a short amount of time this will become stronger, and you will be able to drive this presence out, or at least dominate it, keep it from hurting your friend." The small Master's tone of voice was such that this statement was to be taken as fact.  
  
Anakin visibly relaxed. "Yes, Master. I feel what you are saying. I have felt the Force stronger since this bond showed up. Not my Force strength, but something that feels distinctly like Master Kenobi. I can also feel Master Obi Wan's emotions . . . like right now, he's amused and . . . Well, like Orick said earlier, 'fried'."  
  
The assembled beings all smiled at this. "Study this bond, we must." Yoda sighed. "Very unusual, this is. Tell me, young Anakin, can you and Obi Wan speak through this bond?"  
  
"Yes, Master." A nod.  
  
"Takes much concentration, it does?" A questioning look.  
  
"No, Master. It's just like talking with my voice. We had a conversation while Master Obi Wan was in the bacta tank. It felt just like I am talking to you now. I hear his voice just as if he were speaking, but he isn't. Not with his mouth, anyway."  
  
As if on cue, a wobbly voice emanated from the bed. " 'd I win th' prize?" Slurred but comprehendible.  
  
Bant smiled. "Yes, Ballea. You won the prize. I'll give you a lollipop later."  
  
"Red'n?" Hopeful.  
  
"Yes, Obi. A red one." Bant got up and checked his vitals again.  
  
"Mmmm . . . Like red'ns . . . " His eyes slid to half mast as Bant continued her ministrations.  
  
******************  
  
A gentle knock on Chancellor Palpatine's door roused the man from his concentration. "Enter," slightly frustrated at being interrupted.  
  
Kristoph walked silently into the room, closing the door behind him. "I have a report from our connection inside the Temple, sir." The young man carefully sat in the chair before the large desk. "I thought you might want to hear it right away."  
  
Palpatine gave his assistant full attention, other business forgotten. "Yes, yes, tell me."  
  
A bemused smile flitted across Alistair's face as he relayed the new information. "Well it seems another accident has befallen your pet Jedi."  
  
The Chancellor's face clouded. "What kind of 'accident'?" The last word was spat out with vehemence.  
  
"Evidently, someone tried to overdose him on Phylerol. A rather large amount. The fish woman managed to save him in time, although he did die, technically." The young man said this in a supremely bored tone.  
  
Palpatine's hand clenched and the veins in his forehead popped out as his temper took hold of him. "Do they know WHO did this?"  
  
Kristoph made a show of examining his manicured fingernails. "No, my contact doesn't know. He suspects that Yoda and Windu know, but it's being kept very quiet." A small chuckle. "Wouldn't want people to think the revered Jedi order is vulnerable, would they?"  
  
The Chancellor gave his assistant a withering glare. "Remember your place, my apprentice. My displeasure could very well be taken out on YOU."  
  
Kristoph sobered at the thought. His Masters' wrath could be very painful to bear the brunt of. "My apologies, Master." His head bowed deferentially.  
  
"I am going down there. Is Kenobi awake?" Palpatine got up from his chair and straightened his clothes.  
  
Kristoph rose as well. "Awake, yes. Coherent? Not very. Evidently he has been serenading everyone within hearing range."  
  
"Excellent." Palpatine smiled. "He may be in a susceptible frame of mind then. This could turn out to be a blessing in disguise, my dear Kristoph. Let us go and . . . See what we can see."  
  
The two men strode out of the room, the elder with a determined step and amused expression. His young associate followed, doing his best to hide a glaring scowl.  
  
"One moment, Master . . . " The young man withdrew a small package from his desk. "Skywalker didn't show up this week, so I will take his berries to him."  
  
"Yes, yes . . . " Palpatine replied, absently. "Capital idea . . . "  
  
They strode from the Senate office and made their way toward the Jedi Temple.  
  
  
  
***************  
  
  
  
Room 1A may have been aggravating, but at least it was not boring.  
  
Obi Wan's back had healed enough that he could lounge upright in bed, so Bant adjusted the mattress to allow him to sit and gaze around the room. Staring was his dominant activity, but he allowed himself some mumbling or singing every few minutes. His conversational skills, usually formidable, had retreated to those of a three-year old.  
  
Masters Yoda and Windu had taken their leave, deciding Anakin had been through enough for one day. They retreated to the Council chamber to apprize the other members of the new developments.  
  
Bant and Orick, busily rewiring the medical equipment that Ani had evidently dismantled in order to keep the patient's alarm from going off when he had been overdosing, muttered curses at random. Neither were overly proficient in technical matters. Anakin had offered to help, and was promptly but politely turned down.  
  
Boredom was settling in for Anakin. He was too wound up to study or meditate. The boy sat in a chair next to Kenobi's bed, staring at the wall, the floor . . . And occasionally the man himself.  
  
Glancing up furtively, Anakin caught the Jedi's gaze. Obi Wan's eyes shone grayish green, clearer than they had been a few minutes before. The man still looked dazed, but less insensate than the previous hour.  
  
His wobbly stare turned to Bant, who worked studiously on the other side of the bed. "Where'd the Lil fella go?" Obi Wan's voice was soft, his accent a bit pronounced. But at least it was a complete sentence.  
  
Bant stopped in her work and looked up at him, hiding a smile. "Master Yoda is not . . . a 'little fella'." Reflection. "Ok so he is, but it's still improper to call him that." Her smile won out and she relaxed for the first time in hours. "The Councillors left, Obi Wan. It's just you, me, Orick, and Anakin now."  
  
Obi Wan lolled his head the other direction, gazing at Anakin with a slightly hostile look.  
  
"Lil orphan Ani . . . Qui Gon'd be so PROUD of you . . . " The tone was disdainful and hurt.  
  
Anakin's skin went white, and he seemed to crumple in on himself under Obi Wan's steady, if somewhat glazed, scrutiny.  
  
The healer abandoned her work with a gasp and rushed to Anakin, placing her hands on his shoulders. "Anakin, he's delirious, he doesn't know what he's saying." She studied the boy, sympathetically. "Perhaps it would be better if you helped Orick with his duties." She gave Obi Wan a warning glance, but the Jedi was too disoriented to see it.  
  
"Orick, take Anakin out on your rounds with you. He can carry your supplies and you can show him how we take vitals." Her look had turned into a glare.  
  
Obi Wan's eyes followed the boy as he and Orick headed from the room. As the door slid shut, Kenobi cried suddenly, "Tell Orick t'watch his back!"  
  
A sob from Anakin, and the entrance to the room closed softly.  
  
The Mon Calamarian placed her hands on her hips and stared at her friend. His expression faded into sadness and his eyes closed. "'S tryin' to kill me, Bant. Why's he tryin' to KILL me?" Obi Wan looked miserable, his earlier anger dissipated.  
  
"Oh, my Ballea . . . " Bant sat on the side of the bed and pulled him up to hug him closely. "It isn't him, Obi Wan. It's something controlling him. And you're to out of it to have this conversation right now." She petted his hair softly.  
  
He nodded. "Feel weird, Ballea. 'M not m'self . . . " His words slurred pronouncedly and his head lolled back bonelessly. His eyes closed.  
  
Bant took his face in one hand and squeezed. His eyes flew open, indignant. "No, Obi Wan, you cannot fall asleep. That's right out of the question." She shook him a little bit, making her point loud and clear. He pouted at her pathetically.  
  
"This is going to be the longest few hours of my life" She muttered, releasing him. "I'm going to give you something to keep you from falling asleep." She used her commlink to softly direct to Orick what she needed, then turned back to Obi Wan. "I hate to give you any more drugs, but until the stims kick in . . . You just can't fall asleep." She sat back on the bed and watched as his eyes fluttered sleepily.  
  
A few moments of quiet mumbling later, Orick returned with a hypospray, followed by Anakin. The boy hung his head and avoided Obi Wan, choosing instead to lean against the counter, as far from the bed as possible.  
  
Orick administered the hypospray as Bant joined Anakin, patting his shoulder and giving him some words of reassurance.  
  
Suddenly the door swished open, admitting Chancellor Palpatine and his assistant.  
  
Anakin's eyes brightened and he smiled at the Chancellor. "Hello, Chancellor! Coming to visit Master Kenobi, like you said you would?" Anakin rejoined the group by the patient's bedside.  
  
Bant followed warily. "Greetings, Chancellor. I am afraid Knight Kenobi is not in the best of states for visitors. Perhaps if you come back tomorrow . . . ?" A hopeful look.  
  
Palpatine looked at Obi Wan, who stared back vacantly. "He seems to be awake, healer. And yes, Anakin, I always keep my promises." The man ruffled the boy's hair and smiled down at him. "I see you have kept up your vigil as well?"  
  
Anakin mumbled something back and shrugged. Kristoph grinned at the boy and held out a small package. "Here, Anakin, since you didn't make it to see us last week, I brought the falla berries I was going to give you then with me." Anakin reached out and took the bag.  
  
"Thank you, sir! I admit I missed the berries this week!" The boy held the package reverently.  
  
Palpatine turned his winning smile on the patient. "Well, young Kenobi, it is awfully good to see you awake and out of that bacta tank."  
  
Kenobi's stare clouded, his brow creasing with attempted concentration. Then he smiled brilliantly, glad with himself for finally remembering who this man standing next to his bed was. "Oh, yeah chasnlor Palptine! Meesa r'member you, hokeeday?" A spurt of maniacal laughter followed this epiphany.  
  
Palpatine, a shocked expression taking over his face, leaned toward Anakin. "What's wrong with him?" His inquiry was soft, almost drowned out by Obi Wan's enthusiastic giggling.  
  
Ani met his eyes, and gravely replied, "He's fried, sir." The Chancellor's eyebrows rose. "It's a technical term." The boy said, all concern and seriousness.  
  
Bant glared at Kenobi. "Obi Wan!" The giggling stopped abruptly. "I'm sorry." She turned to Palpatine. "Kenobi is reacting to some drugs he was given. He will not be himself for quite a few hours yet. Perhaps, as I suggested earlier, visiting tomorrow would be more enlightening for you?" The healer busied herself with fixing Obi Wan's blanket, which had somehow gotten tangled around his legs.  
  
The Chancellor smiled. "Maybe I will come back tomorrow. But I would like to visit now as well, since I am already here." He smiled at Bant. "Why don't you go tend to your other patients, and Anakin and I can have a nice little chat?" She gave him a dubious look. "I assure you we will call if anything untoward happens."  
  
Bant looked at Anakin. He shrugged. The healer nodded, uncertain but loathe to deny the Chancellor this small request. "All right. I will be back in a few minutes." She turned to Obi Wan and smoothed his hair back. He smiled guilelessly at her. "I'm going to leave for a few minutes, but I'll be back soon, okay, Obi?"  
  
"Sure, s'okay." His face clouded a bit and he glanced at Anakin. "Be back soon, 'k?" The stim she had given him was quickly pulling him out of his stupor. He would not be falling asleep any time soon.  
  
The healer nodded, smiled, and motioned for Orick to come with her as she left the room.  
  
  
  
*******************  
  
  
  
Chancellor Palpatine turned to Kristoph. "Would you be so kind as to get us two more chairs, Kristoph? No need to stand the entire visit." His assistant nodded as Anakin piped up.  
  
"I can sit on the bed with Master Obi Wan, that way you only need one chair." The boy glanced shyly at Kenobi, seeking a reaction. Obi Wan nodded and reached out to hold the boy's hand.  
  
"S'okay, Ani. 'M sorry 'bout what I said b'fore. I know you din't mean it." The Jedi patted Anakin's hand and closed his eyes, resting his head on the pillow behind him.  
  
Kristoph's look hardened at this exchange, then melted back into an easy- going smile. "One chair, then. Coming right up!" He exited the room as Palpatine settled down next to the bed.  
  
"So, Anakin, You have been in the Healing Center all this time?" Palpatine's eyebrow lifted, inquisitive.  
  
The boy nodded. "Yes, sir. I've been keeping Master Kenobi company. He's had a rough few days." Anakin's eyes trailed to Obi Wan's face, a soft look of affection and worry. "My last few days have been kinda bad, also." His eyes turned to the floor.  
  
Kristoph returned with the chair and placed it by the bed near the foot. He sat and crossed his legs, posture relaxed. "My apologies for not sending those berries earlier, Anakin. I'm afraid they aren't as fresh as usual, but I'm sure they have a couple of good days left in them." He smiled.  
  
"Oh, yes, sir." Anakin nodded. "Thank you again. I love falla berries. I'm so used to you giving me some each week. I missed them." The boy opened the package and popped a small blue berry into his mouth. "They taste just fine." He smiled.  
  
Palpatine cleared his throat. "Yes, well. So, Obi Wan, are you feeling better?" His tone was pleasant and conversational.  
  
Kenobi opened one eye briefly then closed it. "Better'n what? Better'n dead, yeah." He smiled. Ani grinned at him. "I think . . . I think 'm coming around a bit." He sat up a bit, head spinning. Quickly Obi Wan fell back onto the pillow and grimaced as the pain in his back flared. "Nope . . . I w's wrong . . . "  
  
Anakin and Palpatine shared a grin, while Kristoph gazed around the room, supremely bored.  
  
Palpatine scooted his chair a bit closer to the bedside. "So, Obi Wan, I have been wanting to talk to you about something for quite a while now. Would you come visit me at my office when you are out of the Healing Center?" The Chancellor used his best wheedling voice, throwing a bit of Force suggestion into the words.  
  
Kenobi opened his eyes and stared at Palpatine, a small look of confusion flittering briefly across his face. "Visit, your office. 'k." A small giggle "Whatcha wanna talk t'me 'bout?"  
  
Still smiling, Palpatine patted Kenobi's hand. "Let's leave that until you're more able to talk comprehensibly, shall we?" Obi Wan looked at the hand patting his as if it were a snake. But he didn't move or protest. He just nodded.  
  
Anakin watched this exchange, fascinated. "Chancellor Palpatine, sir, can I come with Master Kenobi when he visits you?" His look was hopeful. He enjoyed his visits with the Chancellor. They usually involved falla berries and games of sabaac.  
  
Palpatine shook his head and gave the boy a gentle smile. "No Anakin, I'm afraid I need to speak to Obi Wan by myself. But you may come and keep Kristoph company while Kenobi and I meet, if you like." Both Palpatine and Anakin turned their eyes to Alistair.  
  
"Yes, Anakin, that would be fine with me. We could even go get some lunch or something, get out of the Senate building and go somewhere interesting for a change." Palpatine gave his assistant an approving look at this suggestion.  
  
"Great!" Anakin exuded pleasure at the idea. He hopped up and down on the bed a bit, causing Obi Wan to moan with the sudden movement. The bouncing stopped abruptly. "Oh! I'm sorry Master, I forgot about your back!"  
  
** 'sokay, Anakin. No harm done. **  
  
The clarity of this communication surprised Anakin. It was sluggish but not nearly as foggy as the man's speech was.  
  
** Master? **  
  
** Be still, Anakin. Don't want the Chancellor to know I 'm not so out of it as he thinks I am. He's up to something, and I'd prefer him t' underestimate my cog. . . . nizance. **  
  
Obi Wan smiled lazily and mumbled a bit. "Tired. Need 't rest . . . " His eyes closed and he snuggled his head down into the pillow, turning away from his company in favor of sleep.  
  
** So this has all been . . . An act? ** Anakin made sure his outward appearance remained nonplused.  
  
** No, I'm still not m'self. I've only felt better th'past few minutes, came on very quickly. Just decided, might be bene . . . ficial t'let Palpatine think what he will. Don't trust the man. **  
  
Palpatine smiled at Anakin and rose from his chair. "Well, it appears we have been dismissed. Come, Kristoph, we should let Obi Wan get his rest." Kristoph got to his feet and stretched languorously. "Keep taking good care of him, Anakin. I hope to see you next week."  
  
The two men started for the door just as Bant returned to the room. Kristoph waved at the boy. "Bye, Anakin. See you later." Anakin waved back, then turned his attention to Bant.  
  
The door had barely closed behind the Chancellor and his assistant when Bant realized Obi Wan appeared to be sleeping. "He is not supposed to sleep, Anakin, you knew that!" Bant said sharply as she went to his bedside and began to shake him awake.  
  
Anakin sprang off the bed to stand next to her. "But, Bant . . . " He began just as Obi Wan burst into low chuckles.  
  
"'m not asleep, Ballea, 'm fine. Now stop shaking me, please." He opened his eyes and gazed at his friend warmly. "K so 'm not totally BETTER but . . . gettin there."  
  
Bant took his hand and sighed. "You gave us quite a show there for a while, my friend. You were quite . . . Amusing." She laughed.  
  
Obi Wan groaned. "Ohhhh . . . No. What'd I . . . No . . . Don't wanna know, do I?" His grin was embarrassed.  
  
"Well other than calling Master Yoda 'Lil fella', it wasn't all so bad." Anakin said seriously. Obi Wan blanched and his mouth fell open. "And the singing was quite good, I thought . . . " Anakin nodded, pleased with his assessment of the situation.  
  
Bant laughed at her friend's look of total dismay. "This little episode is going to be very hard to live down, I suspect." She grinned. "But then, all involved know you couldn't help it, so it'll be all right."  
  
Obi Wan looked unconvinced. Then a growing look of horror. "Oh, please, please . . . Tell me I din't say anything rude to Windu. Please, for th love of th Force, tell me that . . . "  
  
Bant laughed even louder. "No, Ballea, you didn't say anything strange to Master Windu. You giggled hysterically at him, but that's about all. Now lean forward. It's time to change your bandages again."  
  
Obi Wan sighed. "Well thank th Force for small favors." He followed Bant's direction and propped himself up on the tray table once more. "I'm feeling a lot better. Seems like I feel clearer by th minute . . . "  
  
"Good, it's probably the stim I gave you to keep you from falling asleep. It's quickening the reaction to the earlier stimulants," the healer replied as she began to change Kenobi's wound dressing. "They're taking over and rapidly usurping the effect of the tranquilizers. I better get this done fast, in a while you'll be bouncing off the walls." She worked rapidly.  
  
Kenobi blinked and wrinkled his nose. "Come to think of it, I am starting to feel a bit . . . restless . . . " Anakin moved to sit at the foot of the bed. "When will I feel NORMAL, Ballea? This altered state thing is getting kind of old." His tone was grousy and petulant, but his words were no longer slurred.  
  
Bant finished up her bandaging and stepped back to look at her patient. His eyes were wide, pupils smaller than normal. He had begun to sweat a bit, even in the coolness of the room.  
  
~~ Yes, the stims are starting to kick in. Faster than I expected. ~~  
  
"Oh, a few hours, Obi Wan. You're going to be hyper and talking too much, wanting to move around, who knows, you may even get a bit obnoxious." She puttered around him, taking his vitals. His heart rate was up, as well as his blood pressure. "I'll need to monitor you frequently until the stims wear off. Don't want you stroking out on me."  
  
Kenobi stared at her. "Yes, that sounds distinctly unpleasant." He glared. "And I am never obnoxious. YOU may think I can be obnoxious, but I assure you, my friend, I am not. Obnoxious. I'm not." His speech was noticeably faster than his usual calm, steady pace.  
  
Bant just smiled indulgently. "Whatever you say, Ballea . . . Whatever you say."  
  
"Obnoxious." Kenobi muttered. "YOU'RE the obnoxious one, Bant . . . "  
  
Anakin sat on the bed and watched the two friends settle into their usual banter, hyped up several notches due to Obi Wan's excited state. He could almost see Obi Wan thrumming with energy as the minutes passed.  
  
~~ This could get very interesting, ~~ the boy thought with a smile.  
  
**************  
  
Kristoph slammed the door to his quarters with a Force push. He growled to himself, flinging his body down on his sleep couch and covering his eyes with his arm.  
  
"That stupid brat!" He raged. "He's fucking everything up!" His thoughts turned to Kenobi. His hatred for the man ran deep. Did Sideous really think he would sit idly by while his Master courted his replacement? Especially when that would mean Kenobi killing Kristoph in order to take his place. That was a fight Alistair knew he could not win. Better to just eliminate the competition and move on, before Kenobi suspected anything. Catching him unawares was the only chance at victory. He would eliminate the young Knight, or die trying.  
  
~~ As if Kenobi could replace ME, anyway. Powerful, he may be, but Sideous is blind. Kenobi will never turn. I know the man, or at least knew him, before . . . This is a waste of time, time that we don't have to spare. ~~  
  
Kristoph looked disdainfully on Sideous' foolish fantasies of taking Kenobi from the Jedi order. His Master had fixated on the man ever since Kenobi had killed Maul. Losing him to the Sith would be a huge blow to the Jedi, and a personal victory to Sideous. Gloating rights. His Master was so arrogant. His selfishness on this matter was getting in the way of other endeavors. Sideous had a one track mind, and it lead directly to the young Jedi.  
  
Kristoph turned his anger toward the boy. How had Skywalker discovered his intrusion? Months of careful suggestion and conniving, slowly infiltrating the boy's subconscious, and the brat had failed him. His control over the boy should have increased, and instead it had floundered.  
  
His rage at Kenobi, the boy, his Master, and most of all, his own failure, drove Kristoph into a dark state of mind. His thoughts spun rapidly, considering scenarios, rejecting them.  
  
~~ I WILL find a way. ~~ He vowed to himself. ~~ I MUST find a way . . . ~~  
  
Suddenly his commlink beeped into life. Sideous.  
  
Kristoph answered quickly. "Yes, my Master?"  
  
The slimy voice sounded tinny over the commlink. "Talon . . . Meet me in my private study. We must talk." The connection was broken.  
  
"Yes, Master," Darth Talon whispered into the darkness, as he prepared to do his Master's bidding once more.  
  
  
  
************************ 


	8. Silence is Golden

(A/N: Just wanted to do a bit of shameless self promotion. I'm starting a series of short stories featuring Qui Gon and Obi Wan in his Padawan days. The first of these can be read on my website, or on ff.n, here: 

http://fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=962055 

Ifya read it, please let me know what you think! It's a humor story primarily, but I wouldn't say it's ONLY humor . . . It also is an attempt at seeing how Qui and Obi interact, and their characters in general. Oh and for those of you who enjoy reading fics on homepages, my writing page is

http://www.tarynsjunkyard.com/Writings.html 

And thanks for all the reviews, you guys are great!! I really appreciate it!!!)  
  
  
  


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Chapter 8: Silence is Golden   


***************************************   
  


Darth Talon found his Master pacing the length of his office as he entered and closed the door quietly. Knowing better than to interrupt Sideous' agitated musings, the young Sith stood unmoving, awaiting an invitation to venture further into the dimly lit room.   
  
Stopping suddenly, the older man clasped his hands behind his back and snarled, "Something is going on between Kenobi and that boy."   
  
Talon did not respond. He knew better than to offer opinions without being asked.   
  
Sideous turned to him, a sneer on his face. "I will have to visit him again. The man was too drugged up to get anything useful out of him." His severe expression eased a bit. "I do think I managed to influence him into visiting me, however, so it was not a total waste."   
  
Talon merely nodded, still hesitant to speak.   
  
Sideous motioned toward the chair with his hand, and his apprentice slowly moved across the room and sat.   
  
His Master leaned against the desk, arms folded, staring at him with those calculating eyes of his. "You seem to have gained the boy's affection with your berries and such. When you take Skywalker to lunch, try to find out the nature of his relationship with Kenobi. I can't put my finger on it, but I feel there is something . . . " His voice trailed off as he gazed vaguely into empty air.   
  
"Yes, my Master. I will see what I can get from the boy." Talon replied.   
  
~~ More for myself, than for you. ~~   
  
"See that you do." Sideous' look was cold. "I will work on Kenobi, although I don't expect to get much. The man's shielding is impeccable, and he strikes me as someone who does not give information freely." His brow creased in agitation. "But the boy . . . He enjoys talking about himself, and I imagine he would be more than happy to tell you all about his newfound friend. I've known that he idolizes the young Jedi for quite some time, but it seemed more of a far off adoration than a personal relationship, after all the man has been absent for the past three years. Something has changed in the past seven-day, something that has brought them together in a more . . . intimate way."   
  
Talon nodded. "Yes, I believe he will want to babble about his great new friendship with Kenobi." A look of uncertainty. "But, Master, you know the boy much better than I. Perhaps he would talk to you more candidly . . . ?" 

Sideous smirked. "Possibly. But it is my idea that he will speak even more to you about it, precisely because he does not know you as well. In an effort to make a good impression on you, to brag, if you will. The boy has a certain vanity not typical of Jedi. They haven't managed to discipline that out of him yet. He will want you to be awed by his close relationship with the illustrious Obi Wan Kenobi . . . Assuming I am correct and there is a friendship there. If there is, I have no doubt Skywalker will be more than happy to enlighten you." The Chancellor smiled, an unpleasant, mocking expression.   
  
"Yes my Master." Talon bowed his head in a show of obedience. "If there is anything to glean, I will do so."   


"Very good. Keep me posted and let me know as soon as Kenobi is released from the fish woman's clutches." Sideous retreated to the large chair behind the imposing black desk. He turned his attention to some reports, waving his hand in the direction of the door. "That is all. You may go."   
  
Talon hid his look of disgust until his back was to Sideous, and quickly exited the office.   
  


********************************************************   
  
  
  
"And then, well, the men on the other side of the fence started running away from the factory. I thought maybe they were just in a hurry to get lunch or something, but that's when I saw this huge lunta bounding out after them, slavering and snarling really loudly. I had never seen a lunta before, but let me tell you, it was one angry looking animal, six legs and these really strange ears that kind of reminded me of Master Yoda. And it was pretty fast, too. Master Jinn just stared at it and yelled something to it, I don't remember what, I may have known at the time, but if I did, well, it escapes me . . . "   
  
Obi Wan took a breath then plunged ahead, talking as he paced around the room like a caged nexu. "Anyway, it doesn't really matter what he said. But it was really amazing, the animal stopped and looked at him, then I swear it started to purr at him . . . PURR at him . . . Like some kind of pet or something, and Qui Gon went over and touched the damn thing, crooning to it and patting it, and the lunta looked like it was smiling at him, even though just a few minutes before it was having some factory workers for breakfast." 

  


He glanced quickly at Bant, knowing her sensitive nature. "Sorry if that sounds crude, but that's what it was doing. So anyway, Master Jinn led the thing some distance from the factory, and the local authorities stunned it and took it away. I imagine they killed it, since it had eaten a few of the workers, but we never really found out, I mean, it really wasn't our business what they did with it, we were just there to deal with it and get it out of their hair."   
  
His monologue stopped long enough to reflect for a split second, a pensive look on his face. "I kinda hope they didn't kill it, I mean, it was just doing what luntas do, right? It was just minding it's own business, getting some food, maybe wanting to take something back to its little baby luntas back at home, just doing what animals do, only in the wrong place and with people instead of other animals, so I don't know that it should have been killed for that, maybe just relocate it or something, Right . . . ?"   


Anakin's smile had not left his face for what seemed like forever. He sat on the bed, listening to Obi Wan talk . . . and talk . . . and talk. The man was not fully healed, but Bant had finally given up on trying to keep him in bed. Kenobi prowled the room, poking into drawers, examining the medical equipment, running his hands along the textures of the sheets, the table, the chair . . . Babbling on all the while.   


The elegant voice continued, a recording played back at double speed. His tone softened, however, and his face took on a wistful look. "I miss him terribly, you know, Master Qui Gon, not the lunta, of course, I don't even know that the lunta was a 'he,' I mean, how could I know that, it isn't like we checked. But, anyway, Master Jinn . . . " Obi Wan's expression was introspective. "He was a good Master, a gifted teacher, and a dear friend, though I doubt he would say the same of me, after all I couldn't even fulfill his dying wish. 'Train the boy,' he said . . . No 'I love you, Obi Wan,' no 'You've been like a son to me, Obi Wan' . . . Just 'Promise me you'll train him, HE is the Chosen One'"   


Kenobi ceased his pacing and stood facing the wall, drawing patterns on the surface with his fingers, always moving, moving, moving. His voice was heavy with emotion, thicker than usual. "I don't know why that surprised me, he had already dumped me in front of the whole Council, replaced me in his mind with Anakin, dismissed me entirely, no matter that I could have been thrown out into the streets, a Masterless Padawan Apprentice, too old to find a new Master, not ready to become a Knight, an object of ridicule, or worse, pity, to my fellow Jedi, because to be dumped at twenty-five, well there must be some defect in me, a Master would not do that to a worthy Padawan, so just what IS horribly wrong with Kenobi, anyway, because there must be SOMETHING, and it must be bad indeed for Qui Gon to dismiss him." Obi Wan's voice was rising, not quite a shout but definitely above his normal speaking voice. His words came rapidly, his accent deepening.   


A deep, unsteadily ragged breath. "Oh, not to mention just how much it hurt for him to do that, to tell me I was just a replaceable commodity, secure in my place only until a superior and more promising product came along, no matter that the thought of him leaving me like that ripped my heart out and stomped on it, made me want to go crawl into a hole and die somewhere, partially just to not feel anymore, and partially just to get him back, make him hurt like he hurt me, just to know that he cared at all once I was replaced . . . No, his thoughts obviously weren't being bothered with me during that time, not once he found ANAKIN" On the last word, Obi Wan pounded his fist against the wall with terrific Force, leaving an impression where his hand had hit it.   


"HOW COULD HE DO THAT TO ME, BANT? A father doesn't just REPLACE his SON!" Obi Wan yelled, an anguished sob ripping into the utter quiet of the room.   
  
Anakin held his breath, afraid to make any sound that might draw the distraught man's attention. Bant, tears escaping her, walked to her friend and put her arms around him. He clung to her like a drowning man clutching his rescuer. Great heaving sobs took him over for a few moments, and the healer patted his back gently, mindful of his still sore injury. Obi Wan was shaking as if he were cold, although the room was a comfortable temperature. Bant crooned soft words to him, comforting him in his turmoil, desperately hoping to ease his acute emotional pain.   
  
Kenobi seemed to realize he was losing it, and his sobs turned into sniffles, then stopped entirely. His tight grip on his friend eased, and he wiped his face on Bant's shoulder. Shaking subsided, and the two friends stood together, still and quiet.   
  
Obi Wan suddenly pulled away from Bant. He turned and dashed to the counter, hopping up onto it, feet thrumming against the cabinet under him, fingers nervously tapping the hard cabinet top. His head hanging low, the Jedi gazed at the floor. Small drops of moisture fell steadily from his face, making darker splotches on his green med-unit sleep pants. Bant and Anakin stared at him, inscrutable looks on both of their faces.   
  
Anakin felt something telling him he didn't want to hear anymore, see anymore, he had heard and seen enough of this raw emotional display, but he stayed put, riveted by the thought of Obi Wan spilling his guts in a way the man would surely never do if he was not under the influence. Bant considered telling her friend to lie down and be quiet, but it had not worked before, and the man was seriously out of control, so ultimately the healer decided to let him talk. Besides, Obi Wan obviously felt a need to get these feelings out, and this may be his only chance to do so. He hardly needed an audience, however. Most especially the particular audience member seated stock still on the bed.   
  
Bant turned to Anakin, a worried look on her face. "Anakin, why don't you go see what Orick is up to?"   
  
The boy ignored her. Totally. He stared at Obi Wan, transfixed by the sight of this man he had nearly worshiped, sitting on a cabinet crying . . . Because of HIM.   
  
~~ I guess if he wants to hear this, that's his decision. Might do something for his attitude, who knows? ~~   
  
Kenobi shook his head slightly, running a hand through his sweat dampened hair. He had gained control of himself, but evidently had not finished speaking to this particular subject. His feelings for his late master ran deep, and he clung to the subject like a starving dog attacking a hunk of nerf steak. Obi Wan sniffed, wiped his face with his hand. His feelings of unworthiness firmly in place, the speech continued as if there had been no outburst at all. When the Knight resumed, his voice was softer and a fraction more measured than before.   
  
"Some Padawan I turned out to be, couldn't save him, fell down in the middle of a life and death fight, couldn't catch up to them when they went to the pit room. My clumsiness and slowness killed him. He asked a favor of me with his dying breath, and I couldn't even keep my word, the Council wouldn't even consider it, I'm too young, not ready, why should they grant my request when I had just gotten my Master killed?" He drew a shuddering breath. "I'm sure they were right. But I am still ashamed that I let Qui Gon down. Again. I wonder if he spared a moment of his dying thoughts to reflect on what a disappointment I must have been to him, how he had wasted the last thirteen years of his life on me . . . "   


Kenobi slid off the counter and resumed his prowl around the room. His face was clear of tears now, but the redness of his eyes betrayed their past existence. He turned to face Anakin, and found the boy staring at him with an expression a combination of awe, disgust, and fear. " Then he died, and I was alone, with you, wanting to train you, not being allowed to, knowing in my heart that the Council was right, but still, it was my Master's last wish. I mean in all honesty I can't say I WANTED to train you, and at that time I still had inappropriate feelings of resentment toward you, and I knew then you deserved better than I could do, and it's surely to your advantage that I was denied my repeated requests to Master Yoda. After a the first year or so I just stopped asking, I always got the same answer."   
  
Obi Wan shifted his stance a bit, feet unable to stay still for more than a few seconds. "So anyway, the day after Qui Gon's death, Yoda tells me I'm a Knight now, then sends me off to Force knows where, just to get me and my taint of incompetence away from the Temple. And what's worse, Anakin, is I couldn't even explain to you why I just left suddenly, abandoning you. I know we had just met but I was the only person you knew here and Qui Gon told you to trust me as well as him, and when you're at your lowest, missing your mother and mourning for Master Jinn, I just take off, the Council commanding me to not contact you, they wouldn't even let me tell you goodbye, let you know I was leaving, and I doubt highly that they bothered to tell you any of this, either." Obi Wan placed his hand on Anakin's shoulder and squeezed affectionately. The Jedi didn't notice the boy flinch slightly at the contact.   
  
A distressed look came over Obi Wan, and he looked directly into Skywalker's eyes. "I don't know why they did that, Anakin, it seemed then to be a cruel thing to do, and I still think it so. But the All-Mighty Council decrees, and we just . . . Obey . . . Obey . . . Obey . . . " His arms spread wide at the last three words in a gesture of futility.   
  
Obi Wan ripped his eyes from the boy, turned to the wall and began to lightly bang his head against it in frustration, his palms flat against the white sterile surface. A few unusually non vocal moments of this and then he was off again, trolling the room, bouncing on his toes, fists clenching and unclenching. He began to shake his head, a smirk on his face. His tone returned to a normal conversational pitch.   
  
"Then two years ago they in their infinite wisdom send me to Solinia, a great place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there, ha ha ha, where I have to have my eyes changed and my hair this ridiculous color," at this he ran his hands through his hair, clenching it a bit at the ends. "They give me a new name, a new identity, tell me that the people in on the negotiations are the only ones who can know I am Jedi, so I have to do all this blasted research into Solinian culture just to know if its ok to blow my nose in public or if that would create an intergalactic incident."   
  
He stopped, mid-stride, and grinned at Bant. "It wouldn't, by the way, but they do look down on physical contact, they're a very formal people, stodgy even to ME, and you know that's saying a lot!" Pacing resumed, he ran his hands along the counters as he walked, fidgeting with the different instruments and containers he encountered.   
  
"But, anyway, so I'm there, for TWO BLASTED YEARS, acting like a fisherman from this little island when the talks are not in session, which I actually have to DO, mind you, to keep up my 'cover', I have to actually go out, and FISH. I don't even LIKE to EAT fish, let alone catch the nasty little creatures, but I was told to do it, so I do. And the talks, you know they dwindled after three months, and I only get called to sit in maybe once every seven-day, but the Council says 'Stay there, the situation is fragile' so I stay. And I FISH!"   
  
The last word was yelled out in indignation. Obi Wan's face was an unattractive red color, made all the more strange by the heavy dark blotches under his eyes that had not yet faded from his dire illness. When he resumed his diatribe, his voice was louder and more snappish than before.   
  
"I trained my whole life, and the last year and a half has been spent largely by me sitting on a little stupid boat in the middle of a big stupid ocean, hauling a stupid net in and out of the stupid water, and selling these stupid things to stupid distributors and stupid townspeople! No using the Force other than my solitary exercises to keep shape, no nothing, I trained and meditated alone in my little hut, couldn't let anyone in or get to know anyone too well, because that would mean expanding the lie and I don't enjoy deceiving people. I couldn't even make acquaintances really, so I had to pretend to be an asshole on top of everything else just to get them to stop trying to be my friend."   
  
Obi Wan shot Bant a warning look. "Don't say it Bant . . . Just don't even say it!" He pointed his finger in her direction.   
  
She grinned wickedly, "Oh my dear Ballea, I was not going to say a word."   
  
It seemed he was incapable of stillness. The past hour he had paced, fidgeted, hopped, bounced, twirled his hands around, and just basically stayed in constant state of movement. When Obi Wan prowled the room, he generally kept his hands clasped behind his back when they weren't busy gesticulating wildly to emphasize an Especially Important Point in his diatribe.   
  
Her friend smiled knowingly and winked. "So ANYWAY, two years, and no real progress. The ruling houses are still in turmoil, threatening each other with war almost constantly. I'd go in, talk 'em down, then go back to my fishing. There were a couple of assassination attempts on the Governor, but those were solved, at least basically, I got the assassins but never did find out who was behind it, with all their infighting it could have been anyone. And then there was Velon . . . "   
  
A strange look came over Obi Wan's face. "But I'm not even going to get into talking about HER . . . Bottom line, I failed the mission, wasn't able to settle anything. Humiliating really, the Council didn't call me back, I was SENT HOME by the Solinian government. I think the Council would have been happy for me to take up fishing full time and just . . . Never come home . . . " Kenobi sat by Anakin on the bed and sighed again, a heavy, despair filled sound. He looked dejected, defeated, and utterly alone. His hands pressed to his temples then slid down to rest in his lap.   
  
Anakin, moved by the Knight's distress, feeling his combination of sadness and nervous energy through the bond, inched closer to the man and tentatively put his arms around him and squeezed gently. A bolt of uncertainty ran from Obi Wan into the boy's mind, but it was quickly followed by an even stronger wave of gratitude and affection. Obi Wan extricated his arms and returned the embrace, settling his chin on the top of Anakin's head, Anakin's face nuzzling into Kenobi's chest.   
  
Hesitantly, Anakin spoke to Obi Wan. ** I'm sorry, Master. I didn't know you felt that way . . . About Master Jinn and me and the whole thing. I never really looked at it from your side, that would have made me feel bad, too. **   
  
Obi Wan opened his eyes and glanced down at the boy, the view consisting of Anakin's pale blonde hair. ~~ I waste all those words and the boy sums it up quite nicely in five. It made me feel bad. ~~   
  
He hugged the boy tighter and smiled. ** Anakin, when we talk like this . . . Call me Obi Wan. **   
  
Anakin smiled, and a feeling of hope for the future ran through him, brushing his soul like a fragrant summer breeze. His happiness coursed through the bond, bringing with it serenity and contentment.   
  
Kenobi seemed spent by his experience. His euphoric energy had not diminished, but the comfort of his current situation was too great to intrude upon. Obi Wan compensated by drumming his legs against the side of the healing center bed. His hands patted Anakin's back in little rhythms, producing a giggle from the boy that did wonders for his pensive mood. Obi Wan sighed, allowing the comfort of the boy's attention to soothe his weariness.   
  
****************************************************************   
  
Bant took this as her cue to retreat to her desk. As much as she liked to hear Obi Wan speak, even HIS voice became grating after the first couple of hours. She knew his throat would be sore later. He was talking and just couldn't shut up. The recent lull was just that. A lull. She knew the man would be back up, pacing and babbling, within a few minutes.   
  
One symptom Bant had not foreseen was her friends' heightened emotional state. He was not just hyper. He was unstable. It was not like her Obi Wan to lose his composure like he had. They had had some emotional conversations over the years, and a handful of them had reduced the Jedi to tears, but not like THAT, and Bant had never seen him act that way in front of anyone else. He was going from angry, to sad, to indignant, to devastated, to affable, then back to angry again with stunning rapidity.   
  
~~ This too shall pass, ~~ She thought. ~~ I just hope he isn't too embarrassed when he realizes he bared his soul like that in front of Anakin. ~~   
  
The healer gritted her teeth and rolled her eyes. In retrospect, she decided she preferred Obi Wan loopy to Obi Wan hyper and emotional. With a heavy sigh, she saw that she had been gone a half hour, and got up from her reports to check her loquacious patient's vitals.   
  
Entering the room, Bant was unsurprised and yet dismayed to see Obi Wan standing on his head, demonstrating some kind of exercise to Anakin, who was giggling wildly. Kenobi supported himself with one hand, the other arm outstretched, his legs bent as if he were about to spring upwards into a back flip.   
  
"Obi Wan! Don't you even THINK about it!" She pointed a warning finger and frowned fantastically at her friend.   
  
He sighed heavily and rolled his eyes. Gracefully he lowered his arm and slid into a sitting position on the floor. "Ok, ok, geez. I was just trying to show Anakin how -- "   
  
"I don't CARE what you were JUST trying to do. I WILL strap you down in the bed if I have to. I'm sick of changing your bandages and if you rip the wound open I'll have to start this all over again." She held her hand out to him and pulled him up gently. "Get on the bed. I have to get your stats again."   
  
Sullenly, Obi Wan sulked over to the bed, sitting with a groan. "SOMEBODY took a grumpy pill while she was gone." He smiled and winked at Anakin, who bit his lip to keep from laughing. "Oh, man, I'm so sick of being in here, Bant, when can I get out of here? There's nothing to do, you're being inhospitable, I want to be back in my own rooms where I have all my books and all my other stuff, I've been here forever and --"   
  
Bant glared at him, cutting him off. "Shut up, please!"   
  
~~ So much for not resorting to that anymore! ~~ Walking around him, the healer began peeling the bandages back to inspect the wound.   
  
Obi Wan began laughing wholeheartedly, shaking his head, strange blackish hair flying. "Shut up, PLEASE? Oh, that's really good, that's brilliant, I'll have to remember that one. Nothing like following a rude command with a word of politeness. Almost makes the shut up seem like a friendly request, doesn't it, Ani?" His chuckling continued.   
  
Anakin continued to smile, and nodded his head in agreement. The boy had not gotten a word in edgewise for more than ten minutes. Ostensibly, Obi Wan was talking to him, but Anakin got the feeling that Kenobi's behavior would have been identical even if the man had been totally alone in the room.   
  
Bant, satisfied with the injury's progress, closed the bandage and returned to stand in from of Obi Wan. "Look, Ballea, I know you can't help it, but really, you're driving me crazy. You know I love you, and it's wonderful to see you in such high spirits after all the misery of the past few days, or hours . . . " She patted his cheek and sighed. "I guess I should just deal with it. You'll be back to your old taciturn self soon enough." A small smile as she took his blood pressure and listened to his heart.   
  
Kenobi seemed affronted by his friends' comment. His brow knitted, a small line forming between his eyes. "I'm not taciturn! Am I?" He gazed around Bant to look at Anakin. "I'm not taciturn, am I Ani? I'm a friendly enough guy, aren't I? I don't put people off, do I?"   
  
Anakin squirmed, a pained expression on his face. "Wellllll . . . You can be a little . . . uhh . . . hard to talk to sometimes. Preoccupied. Uninterested . . . Grumpy . . . Serious "   
  
Obi Wan pouted. "Ok, ok, ok, I get the picture, you don't have to write me a book about how unappealing I am when I'm not hopped up on goofballs . . . "   
  
Bant grinned. "Oh, come on, Obi Wan, self pity is not becoming on you at all. It ruins the effect of that devastating face you have and just turns you into a schmuck."   


Obi Wan's mouth dropped open in shock. "A SCHMUCK! What kind of thing is that to call a friend, Bant, I mean really, that's not a very nice thing to say." He pouted again, an expression that had been perfected early on in his initiate years.   
  
"Quit pouting, you big baby." She finished with his vitals and moved to put her instruments away. "And as far as the 'schmuck' label goes, if the shoe fits, wear it, buddy."   
  
Obi Wan shook his head in mock disgust. "Unbelievable. Totally unbelievable. You're friends with someone your whole life, and they turn on you with their nasty words like that," he snapped his fingers, "Just like that! How treacherous, nay, how vile, how despicable . . . " Obi Wan was smiling widely now, a total 180 degree turn from the mess he had been an hour before.   
  
Bant gazed at Obi Wan, hands on her hips, enjoying his little melodramatic soliloquy, while Anakin just laughed happily.   
  
As Bant watched, an amazing thing happened. Something that filled her with joy and gave her hope to carry on.   


Obi Wan yawned.   
  
A big, hearty, full throated yawn, complete with little yawny noises as he breathed out.   


He blinked his eyes slowly and looked at Anakin in amazement. "Anakin, I'm getting sleepy." The boy just looked at him, wondering why this was news worthy of speaking aloud.   
  
"YES!" Bant cried. She walked to the bed and fluffed the pillows. "Your vitals are spot-on normal, the back wound is almost healed, although it will be tender for a couple more days, and your body has done you the wonderful favor of burning all those stims out of your system, and that hard work has made you tired, my friend, yes, very sleeeeepy." Bant was giddy.   
  
Obi Wan and Anakin looked at each other.   
  
** She sounds like you did earlier, talking all fast and excited like that. ** Anakin observed.   
  
Obi Wan pursed his lips. ** Yes, she does. I must have really annoyed her, for her to be so happy that it's over. **   
  
Anakin looked thoughtful. "Yes, I'm sure you did annoy her, but mostly I just think she's worried about you."   
  
Bant turned her gaze to Anakin. "Yes I was worried . . . And yes, he annoyed me greatly." Her face softened and she came to stand by Obi Wan, taking his hand affectionately. "You did scare me, my friend. You worked yourself up pretty badly there . . . I hate to see you upset like that."   
  
Obi Wan squeezed her hand. "Yeah, I don't ever remember feeling that upset or out of control. Not since the day on Naboo, when . . . " He shook his head. "Well, I feel okay now, and it's over." He looked pointedly at Anakin. "If you need to talk to me about any of the things I said, we can do that, but not right now, ok?" Anakin nodded, an understanding look on his face.   
  
"Oh and Anakin, you spilled the beans again with the bond communication." Kenobi smiled warmly at the boy. "Not that it matters this time, you can say about anything in front of Bant. We don't have secrets. But it could be disastrous in certain situations."   
  
Anakin looked down, chagrined. ** I'm sorry, Master **   
  
** Master? ** Obi Wan stared at him expectantly.   
  
** Oh! Uh, I mean, I'm sorry, Obi Wan, I'll try to remember. Maybe we can practice it so it becomes more natural to me. And calling you Obi Wan is totally weird, but I will try to remember that, too. ** He hopped off the bed and stood next to Bant.   
  
** Now why don't you get some rest? ** Anakin said, simultaneously with Bant's "Ok, it's time for you to rest, Obi Wan."   
  
Kenobi looked from Bant to Anakin and back again as he lay back carefully on the bed. He rolled his eyes. "Oh, great, now there's TWO of them!"   
  
Anakin and Bant looked at each other quizzically as Obi Wan snuggled into the pillow and closed his eyes.   
  


**************************************************************** 

**************************************************   
  
  
The door chime on Mace Windu's quarters buzzed briefly. Mace Felt the space just outside his door, and recognized the signature at once. Yoda. He palmed the door open and ushered the small Master inside.   


Yoda made a beeline to the living room, helping himself to a cookie out of a jar that Mace kept on his jaffa table.   
  
Windu followed, sitting across from Yoda, and waited. He didn't have to wait long.   
  
"A problem, there is." The wizened Master said, munching.   
  
"Would you care to elaborate on that?" Mace drawled.   
  
Yoda nodded, swallowed. "Send Kenobi back to Solinia, we must."   
  
Windu looked confused. "Send him back? Why? They are the ones that said he was no longer needed. And now, with all these strange events of late, we have to send him away?" Yoda nodded. "No, Master Yoda, we can send someone else." His tone was firm.   
  
Yoda shook his head. "Only Kenobi, they said. They will not deal with another. He was there two years, knows them. A reasonable request, it is."   
  
Windu was flabbergasted. "But, the wound, the attempts on his life, this bond with Skywalker . . . Kenobi isn't even healed yet, he simply can't go."   
  
Yoda snagged another cookie. "Go, he must. Send someone with him, we will, but Kenobi must go or the Solinians will not let any Jedi on planet."   
  
Windu let an angry expression slip by. "Then they can do without our aid, we are not bound to send in a team that is not at full capabilities."   
  
"Five days it takes to reach Solinia. By then, almost back to normal, Obi Wan will be. And this time we will send Jedi, not fishermen. Make our presence known, we must, if we are to have any impact on the situation. No more hiding among the population. If a member of the Republic they are, then reconcile to Jedi involvement, the people must be." Yoda's mind was obviously made up. Mace realized there must be reasons for the decision, and if Yoda did not offer them, then he would never know what they were. "Kenobi is the best person for this job. To send anyone else, would be negligent. Strong the boy is, handle this, he can. Simple mission, it should be."   


Windu sighed. "Those words are the kiss of death, my friend." He smiled ruefully. "No Jedi mission is, by definition, a simple mission. When do we tell Kenobi about this?"   


Yoda stood. "Right away, we must go. An incident, there has been, time is of the essence or war will surely break out." The small green hand grabbed another cookie, and Yoda began to walk toward the door.   


Mace strode out, quickly outdistancing the small Master. The two friends walked down the corridor, the gap between them growing larger.   


Mace turned back, smiling wickedly at Yoda. "Come on, Lil Fella, we haven't got all day!" Then, inconceivably, Windu giggled. 

A group of Padawans turned as one to stare at the unnatural sight of Mace Windu snickering. 

Yoda scowled and rasped at the insolent man, "When I catch up with you, thwack you with my stick, I WILL!"   


Mace shrieked in mock horror and jogged around the corner, leaving a muttering

Yoda to complain about 'these humans' and how 'never grow up, they do.' The moment of Mace's thwacking would be sweet, indeed.


	9. Getting There

See Disclaimers on Chapter One!  
  
A/N: This is just the 2/3 of Chapter 9. I have not posted in so long that I wanted to go ahead and put this up even though it is not complete. I am waiting for surgery in Jan and have been put on morphine while waiting, which is not really a good thing for someone who wants to write. This will be updated in fits and starts because i am not usually lucid enough to write....so please know i am not stopping the story, but will be spotty till mid February probably. I have surgery on jan 21, and will be in the hospital/physical therapy center for 3-4 weeks. Please don't give up on me, i priomise this fic will be finished eventually! And for all who are still reading, thanks so much! I will try not to let so much time go between updates, even if it is only a partial chapter like this one.  
  
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Chapter 9: Getting There  
  
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~~ I can't BELIEVE I'm on my way back to the ole fishin' hole. ~~  
  
Obi Wan Kenobi smirked to himself in the mirror as the mental image of his long days on Solinia trudged through his mind.  
  
~~ Yoda promised me no more of that; I'll resign my place in the Order before I ever. Go. Fishing . . . Again! ~~  
  
Anakin glanced worriedly at his new guardian. From his spot behind Obi- Wan, he noticed the young Jedi alternately chewing on his bottom lip and glowering thunderously; occasionally he did both at the same time. Agitation was rolling off of him in waves. Kenobi wasn't actually speaking to Anakin through their bond, but the boy could still catch the general mind-set of his friend. It wasn't happy.  
  
Ani ran his fingers through Kenobi's hair, checking for sections he may have missed. Snipping at a stray strand of the ginger colored locks, the boy ventured a glance at his mentor's reflection.  
  
*I kind of like to fish, Mas . . . Obi-Wan. * A hint of a smile, encouraging.  
  
The blank stare Anakin received made it clear that Obi Wan was not in the mood for encouragement. "Are you through there, Anakin? I'd like to look over the mission specs again." The tone was businesslike but not unkind. No reason to take his frustration out on the boy.  
  
Ani's expression turned serious as he clinically examined Obi Wan's hair. The young man's brow knit as he concentrated on his task. A few snips later, Skywalker declared his masterpiece complete. "I think that's done, sir." Obi Wan glanced at the mirror absently. He really didn't care much about the haircut, but Anakin had REALLY wanted to do it for him, rather than let Kenobi have it done at the Temple. It had taken longer than anticipated for the technician to return Obi Wan's hair to its normal reddish blonde, and who knew how long he would have been kept waiting for an actual haircut.  
  
They had been in a hurry, and letting the boy cut his hair had saved time. ~~Force! ~~ Obi Wan stared at himself, a bit startled. ~~I look just like I did on Naboo! Minus the braid and ponytail, that is.~~ Kenobi had been so engrossed in self-pity that he had totally ignored the assault that was being perpetrated on his hair.  
  
One last uncertain glance at his new/old look, then Kenobi turned in his chair and faced the boy. "It's, uh . . . A bit short, isn't it, Anakin?" The boy's face fell, his head lowering perceptibly. "No, hey, Ani, it's fine." Kenobi reached out and patted the thin shoulder. "I'm just not used to it. I haven't had my hair this way for years." Anakin glanced up, looking a bit reassured.  
  
"I'm sorry, Master. It's the only haircut I know how to do. You know, the Padawan cut. They teach us so we can keep our own hair neat and straight after we're apprenticed . . . " The boy looked chagrined.  
  
"Yes, well, you did a fine job. Soon you'll be trimming your own Padawan cut, I'm sure." He ran his fingers through the short hair. Obi Wan grinned brightly. "Hey, it won't be getting into my eyes anymore, that's for sure!"  
  
With that, Kenobi stood and stretched the kinks out of his legs. "I'm going to relax in our cabin for a while, go over the briefing again. Why don't you wander up to the cockpit and bother Garen for a bit?" Anakin nodded and smiled widely. "You can tell him everything he's doing wrong." Kenobi winked conspiratorially and turned toward the sleeping cabins. Catching his reflection briefly as he did so, a sigh escaped him. ~~ It will grow back. It will grow back . . . ~~  
  
  
  
************  
  
Mace Windu stared at the little green troll, not even bothering to hide his consternation.  
  
"Do you really believe it was wise to send Skywalker along on this mission, Master Yoda?" The tone was tense, the words clipped.  
  
Yoda continued munching on his cookie, as usual taking advantage of Mace's hospitality. "Would I have done it, if wise I did not consider it? The boy must stay with Kenobi. This, the Force is demanding. To separate them would be . . . Foolish."  
  
"I see." In fact, Windu did NOT see, but knew better than to argue with Yoda when the small Master had his mind set on something.  
  
"Worry, you should not. Kenobi is an experienced Knight, one of our best. Muln, as well, very competent. Work well together, they do, friends since the creche." The crunching continued, makingWindu reconsider his long tradition of leaving cookies out for Yoda.  
  
"Yes, but Muln has only been a Knight for two cycles . . . " Mace began, not quite whining.  
  
The stern look Yoda gave his friend closed that particular line of questioning. "Able to handle this, Garen is. Kenobi's mission this is, Muln has only to watch and learn. Experience must be gained somehow. As far as the boy goes . . . " Yoda stopped chewing as his small body stilled. His large eyes unfocused and drooping. "Meant to be together, the boy and Kenobi are. Imperative we not dismiss this. Three years ago, separated they had to be, but now. Now, on this all depends. Skywalker can have no other Master." Yoda's eyes returned to stare at Mace.  
  
Windu's troubled stare rested heavily on his friend's. "'No other Master'? What did you See, Yoda?" The large man leaned forward intently.  
  
Yoda's large ears drooped. "Ever in motion, the future is. We will keep Kenobi and Skywalker together, and the path of the Light will be served. For this, did Qui Gon perish. If Jinn had been Master to the boy . . . All would be lost."  
  
Windu shook his head, bewildered. "You can't be seriously telling me that Qui Gon Jinn, arguably our best, an experienced Master with decades of training, is dead now because Kenobi, a young, barely tried Jedi, exceptional though he is, not a seasoned Master, is a better mentor for Skywalker than Qui Gon would have been? Is that what you're telling me?" Windu's annoyance was obvious, just this side of true anger.  
  
Master Yoda glared at his fellow Council member. "No! Telling you that, I am not! Not a better Master will Kenobi make. The ONLY Master. All others lead to Darkness. Kenobi himself would have led to Dark as well, had he trained the boy when requested, on Naboo. Take the boy as Padawan at the right time, and disaster will be averted. Take him too soon or too late, and the Darkness will fall."  
  
Mace shook his head, confused. "So you're saying that if Kenobi, and no one BUT Kenobi, takes the boy as an apprentice at JUST the right time, all will be well. But take him at any OTHER time, and the boy will turn? I assume that is what you mean by Darkness? And somehow Skywalker's turning will be the end of us all?" Mace stared intently, digesting this new information.  
  
Yoda grabbed another cookie and stood to leave. "Understood me, you almost have." The small Master thumped his way toward the door as he chewed. He turned briefly as the door slid open. "One point, make clear I must: It is not Skywalker's turning I speak of. Anakin, the danger once was. No longer." Yoda shook his head sadly and walked out, muttering, "No longer . . . "  
  
The door slid closed and the thumping receded. Mace stared after Yoda for several long moments, absently rubbing the large bruise on his shin from his most recent thwacking. He had a bad feeling about this.  
  
******************  
  
The cockpit door if the starship Serenity swished open with a soft whoosh, admitting Anakin Skywalker into the small control room. The boy swept his eyes hungrily over the controls, resting on the mocha-brown hands of the man currently piloting the small provate transport.  
  
Garen's fingers flew surely over the controls, setting their route and giving the ship instructions to alert him when the time came to return to normal space. Sensing that his new companion was not his old childhood friend, but the youngster accompannying him, Garen unlatched his safety harness and swiveled to face the boy.  
  
"Please, Anakin Skywalker, have a seat there in the co-pilot's chair. Just don't touch anything." The warm brown eyes gave him a wink; Garen knew full well that Anakin was most probably a superior pilot to himself, although likely not rated to fly Kenobi's prescious little transport.  
  
Anakin smiled shyly and gave a short bow before sitting beside the tall brown Knight. "Thank you, Knight Muln. And please, call me Anakin. Or Ani."  
  
Muln's eyebrows rose at this. Obi Wan had related to him the anger this boy had shown when Kenobi addressed Skywalker by what the boy considered a derogative, childish nickname. "Ok, then, Ani. To what do I owe this visit?"  
  
Anakin grinned, a guileless expression. "Knight Kenobi told me I should come tell you what you're doing wrong." The grin turned mischevious.  
  
Garen's low chuckle filled the small space. "Oh, ho! He did, did he? Well. I will have to leave him to his illusions then. Good pilots like us probably make him feel his own inadequacies most profoundly." Another wink, conspiratorially.  
  
"Yes, I have heard you're one of the best pilots in the Order, Knight Muln..." Anakin began.  
  
"No, no." The large sable hand came up in a silencing gesture. "Garen, please. Just Garen. Knight Muln makes me think I'm in front of the Council or something."  
  
Both Jedi shuddered at that thought.  
  
The boy smiled and nodded. "Ok, Garen. I hope to be as good a pilot as I hear you are, someday."  
  
Garen smiled, puzzled. ~~ This is the arrogant Chosen One I have heard about? Someone has a funny notion of what arrogance is. ~~  
  
"Well if Temple gossip is true, you will have no problem surpassing me in flying skills, if you haven't alredy, my boy." The Knight shifted back in his chair and plopped his feet up on a section of the control panel, careful to steer clear of any actual levers or buttons. "So, whatcha wanna talk about, Ani? It's a long ride to Solinia, and these trips can get rather boring."  
  
Anakin perked up and leaned forward in his chair. "Knight Kenobi, uhh, Obi Wan, told me you have been friends since you were both infants."  
  
Garen grinned and nodded. "Yes, yes that's true. I would go so far to say he is my best friend. And I don't think it would be presumptuous of me to say I am his." A thoughtful look. "Well, me and Bant, anyway. Bant and Obi Wan are so close they're practically one person! Always have been. But Obi Wan and I, being both guys, you know what I mean. We have a 'guy thing' that is impossible to have with a friend that is a female." A shrug. "You know what I mean."  
  
The expression on Anakin's face told Garen that the youth did in fact NOT know what he meant. He filed that thought away and chose not to comment on it.  
  
Skywalker's pensiveness held on for a few seconds, then lifted. "Well, I was wondering if you could tell me some stories of you and Master Kenobi when you were padawans. I bet you got into some interesting situations." The grin was wheedling, clearly asking for tidbits that his friend might not want the boy to know about.  
  
"Oh, I don't know if your Master would like that. He was quite a troublemaker, we both were, and I wouldn't want to get in trouble with him for corrupting his Padawan." Garen smiled. He had some stories, boy did he have some stories! Somehow he didn't think Obi Wan would appreciate him relating most of these memories, most especially the one about Obi's 20th Naming Day party. No, his friend would not appreciate that at all.  
  
Garen snapped out of his reverie to see a distraught Anakin sitting before him.  
  
The boy's face had fallen, and his gaze fixed on the floor. Small nimble hands fiddled in his lap. Anakin's next words were soft and full of longing. "Master Kenobi isn't MY MASTER. It's just an honorific. I'm just an Initiate along for the ride." Feet shuffling and a slight trembling illustrated how important this subject was to Skywalker, and how painful.  
  
Garen's face showed puzzlement. "Oh. Well, I wondered how it could be that Obi Wan had taken a Padawan without anyone knowing. You two just seem so attuned to one another, even just in the few minutes I have seen you together, I assumed...Well I assumed you just hadn't gotten the haircut yet. Then I wondered why Obi Wan got the haircut instead!" His laughter was rich and filled the compartment.  
  
Anakin brightened at that and looked up smiling. "Yes, that was my fault. I asked to cut his hair and it's the only way I know how."  
  
"Did he get very angry?" Garen knew how much Obi Wan hated that 'ridiculous parody of a haircut' as he called it.  
  
Anakin shook his head, his blonde hair rustling with the movement. "No, no, I could tell he was less than happy, but he didn't get mad."  
  
Garen whistled low. "Well then he must like you, a lot! If *I* did that to his hair, which, just between you and me, he fusses over way too much and has a pride unbecoming a Jedi concerning it, well...I'd be sitting here bald after he Force-suggested me to sleep and shaved my head in retaliation!"  
  
Anakin grinned at the mental picture of a snarling Obi Wan knelt over his unconscious friend, shaver in hand and brown curls falling in sheets to the floor.  
  
** Where in the Sith Hells did THAT come from, Ani?! **  
  
"Uh-Oh," Anakin said. "Busted."  
  
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This chapter will be updated soon! Two thirds done now. 


End file.
